Poké Wars: The Exigence
by Cornova
Summary: I watched my world quickly crumble into ruin, realizing that my dreams, my aspirations, now meant nothing. With only the skills meant to entertain and the hopes that my family was still alive, If we were to survive in this new world, others had to die.
1. Lights! Camera! Apocalypse!

**I want to thank my beta reader Jakayrta for the help in this chapter, but also a big thanks to an old friend, Queenofspades19 for her contribution to this arc when I was starting out.**

* * *

**August 16**

* * *

Countless lights bathed the crowded streets in a multicolored glow. Thousands of pedestrians scurried about like disturbed Trapinch. Neon signs hawking everything from poké balls to noodle houses hummed and pulsed with the beat of the city's life. The sizzling sound of food and the choir of venders selling refreshments, food and various objects of debatable worth served as its soundtrack.

* * *

Skyscrapers towered over the streets, their shadows looming over the city, but unable to pierce the fields of light below. Tonight was a special night, in more ways than one. A large percentage of the crowd was flocking to the newest event to reach Goldenrod City.

After months of construction, they were finally finished building the contest arena. The term "coordinator" was new to the people of Johto, heard only via word of mouth. People from all regions flocked towards the Johto region, bringing with them never-before-seen Pokémon, styles, and technology.

Two sapphire eyes gazed intently into a mirror. There was no movement, no sound until the girl blinked. She scanned over every centimeter of her face for flaws like a hunting Pidgeot. She didn't know why; it wasn't like the judges had telescopes aimed at her face. But she still wanted to look her best.

Her light brown hair had no split ends and was brushed straight; her face was clean and smooth, so no problems there. Once May was comfortable with her appearance she decided on what she would wear to the competition.

"I could wear the desert princess outfit that I wore in Sinnoh, Wait! The judges already saw that one. Arrh! Why do they always have the same judges? Well…maybe except for the Nurse Joys, it's always a different one…but they all look the same!" May grumbled.

Her eyes settled on the open wardrobe and its contents. "Hey, the judges haven't seen my other Sinnoh outfit!" she said.

Sparing no time, May darted over to the wardrobe and slipped into her orange outfit, slid into her matching orange shoes, and tied the green bandana around her head. The only things that hadn't changed from her previous ensemble were her black shorts and her white and black gloves.

She checked her pockets, fishing for something until she found it, pulling up two things. One was a wrinkled picture of her mom, dad, and Max – her little brother. The other was half of a ribbon that she and Ash had battled for long ago. She smiled at both of them, remembering her family, as well as Brock and Ash. Her hand rose to stifle a yawn; she wondered why they were doing the first round at midnight.

"Wish me luck," she whispered and put the mementos back in her pockets. She just needed two more ribbons to have a total of five and be equal with the others. May stepped out of the dressing room and met three familiar faces amid the group of coordinators in the waiting room.

The first coordinator was an elegant but laid back youth named Drew. His piercing green eyes scrutinized May, a cynical smile forming on his lips as examined her.

The second coordinator was Solidad, an attractive young woman with flowing dark pink hair. The veteran coordinator allowed herself a smile as her azure eyes analyzed May from head to toe. Her ensemble was simple but still elegant: an orange long-sleeved shirt that meshed perfectly with her burgundy skirt, belt, and boots.

Behind the yellow couch was the final coordinator, Harley. The very sight of May brought his eyebrows together in an unfriendly scowl. A pair of aqua eyes bored into her.

His purple hair cascaded down to his shoulders, a dark green pyramid shaped hat was pulled down slightly so to hide his eyes. His pants and shirt were modeled after a Cacturne and a dark undershirt exposed a portion of his midsection.

"Well? What d'ya think?" May asked.

"It looks wonderful, May," Solidad replied.

"You spent that entire time to change into _that_?" Drew said in disbelief. His eyes shifted up and down her form, scrutinizing every centimeter.

"What's wrong with it?" May demanded.

"Don't listen to him, it looks just fine," Solidad replied.

"I just don't see the point. You went in there to change your outfit, all ya did was change the colors of the original one," Drew said with a sigh, casually brushing away a jade lock of hair away from his face.

"At least I'm _trying_ something different, look at you!" May retorted, pointing an accusing finger at Drew's attire. Drew looked down at his outfit: a lavender shirt over a black, long-sleeved undershirt, and aqua jeans.

Drew shrugged indifferently, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Besides, outfits don't earn you any points, it's what ya do with your Pokémon," he replied.

"You never did like flashy outfits," Solidad said with a chuckle.

"I prefer to rely on something practical, like the attacks."

"You never know. Judges get bored of seeing the same old attacks, they might feel the same way about your outfit," May countered.

"Honey, trust me, the judges don't care. You aren't gonna impress them with _that,_" Harley said with a sigh. His eyes remained closed as he leaned against the wall.

"Of all the people to give fashion advice, a guy wearing a creepy Cacturne costume should be the last."

Drew tilted his head back and laughed. Harley's eyes snapped open, glaring murderously at May "She did not just…" he grumbled.

"And for our first contestant, May!" the announcer said into her microphone. The amplified voice was easily heard inside the waiting room

"I think that's my cue," May said, swiftly turning on her heels and striding towards the stage entrance. She tried her best to conceal her anger as she was sure it would not make a favorable impression on the judges.

"Good luck May," Solidad said, unsure if May had even heard her from the distance she put between them.

Drew turned his head back only to see Harley scowl at him. "Frown all you want, that was funny," he said, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

"I'll show you something funny," Harley mumbled, barely loud enough for Drew to hear. Drew's demeanor changed rapidly, turning his head completely in Harley's direction.

"What did you do this time?"

"Why do you care? Afraid your little girlfriend is gonna make a fool of herself in front of hundreds of people?" Harley taunted. Drew's face made no sign of being affected by the mention of "girlfriend", much to Harley's surprise; he was expecting something like blush or a stuttering denial.

"Doesn't have to be my girlfriend for me to believe in fair play," Drew retorted.

"Well you and I see fairness in different lights."

"And here I thought that you had feelings for her, Drew," Solidad said. Her calm and piercing stare succeeded where Harley's biting words failed.

"Please give a warm welcome to May, the coordinator princess of Hoenn!" the voice boomed from behind the curtains leading to the stage. Drew took the opportunity to gaze in the direction of the sound, waiting for his blush to fade.

The flat screen T.V. in the coordinator waiting room blinked to life, showing May on the big screen. Every few seconds, the camera shifted to show her from a different angle.

Drew allowed himself a curt smile.

_She's stronger now. I can just tell from how she talked to us, she didn't pull any punches. She's gonna be a strong coordinator, it's kinda interesting to see her grow. She may not know it, but it's pretty rare to see such talent for this kinda thing. _Drew thought.

* * *

May's fists swung at her sides rapidly as she walked, her cheeks puffed up in frustration.

_I just wanted them to notice me, but why? Why should I care what they think? Even if Drew's better than me, why should his opinion matter at all? I don't need him to tell me I'm good, I know I'm a good coordinator_. She thought.

"**_Please give a warm welcome to May, the coordinator princess of Hoenn!_**" The announcer's voice echoed in her head and the walls.

May blushed a little, she didn't expect anyone to give her that title, and she didn't think she had done enough to actually earn it. She was even surprised to know that her title had spread to even the Sinnoh region, considering that Dawn had heard of her.

Bright lights marked the exit of the hallway and stage entrance; May's blush quickly disappeared. She was still a bit angry with Drew and Harley, but pretended to look happy for the stage.

The second she entered it was like stepping in an entirely new world, the cheering from the crowds nearly deafened her. No longer did she have to pretend to smile; a genuine smile replaced the false one as she caught sight of her fans.

She waved and smiled to the crowd as she headed towards the stage, where at the end sat the judges. May ignored the judges' introductions, contemplating on what Pokémon she should display.

She wondered why they even bothered introducing the judges if – with the exception of the Joys – they were always the same. Mr. Sukizo always bothered her somewhat since it looked like he was squinting or had his eyes closed. The only thing that ever came out of his mouth was "remarkable" for almost every coordinator.

_I guess I could start with a bang; this'll be Goldenrod's first Pokémon contest. I think I have just the thing to blow them away. Good thing I picked this up when I went to the Wallace Cup, I don't think even Harley or Drew have this yet_. May thought as a smile crept across her lips.

"Blaziken, take the stage!" May cried, throwing her poké ball. Before Blaziken was even released, flames enveloped the poké ball. With a burst of light, the poké ball opened, releasing Blaziken. Flames coated his body as he kneeled on the ground. The flames flickered out of existence as Blaziken stood up and roared, sending the embers in every direction.

Blaziken suddenly began shadowboxing, bobbing and weaving as he fired a volley of jabs, hooks and uppercuts at an invisible opponent. The punches started off slow and became faster and faster until only blurs of its fists were seen. The crowed cheered at Blaziken's display of martial prowess. Blaziken then switched tactics, lashing out with a flurry of kicks. Some were basic front kicks while others were dazzling midair roundhouse kicks.

The guys in the crowd were impressed, even some of the girls couldn't help but to watch in awe. Many of them had never seen a Blaziken before and to see such power and swiftness before them was impressive.

Waves of heat began to shimmer all around Blaziken; his wrists now ablaze as he did a Blaze Kick. May felt the room grow slightly warmer, gusts of heat actually reached the audience. The judges nodded in interest and the crowd hooted and cheered.

"All right Blaziken, let's do a Fire Spin," May commanded. Blaziken nodded and tilted his head back, aiming at the ceiling and breathing tornado of flame from his beak.

"Okay Blaziken, now use Sky Upper-"

Blaziken's eyes opened wide, his entire body began to shudder, as the flames on his wrists grew hotter and larger. He fell to his knees; his hands holding his head while the flaming tornado continued to whirl above them. The flames licked the ceiling, spreading instantly onto the nearby curtains. Pulsing white flashes of light and ear piercing shrieks came from the fire alarms as the curtains caught fire. Several of the spectators got up to leave as the alarms went off.

May's heart leapt into her throat; Goldenrod City's first Pokémon contest had now become a total disaster. "Blaziken, stop!" May screamed. Blaziken was in too much pain to hear its trainer's voice. She tried returning Blaziken, but the Pokémon refused to be returned.

The burning curtains had now ignited the ceiling tiles and embers began to rain onto the crowd and onto the judges. The poké balls in May's pocket suddenly opened themselves. May looked on in horror as her Pokémon convulsed in the throes of some unknown ailment.

Glaceon arched her body in pain, lashing out with Ice Beam attacks at an imaginary enemy. Wartortle hid into its shell and spun rapidly. Streams of water shot out of each hole in the shell, punching holes into areas of the stage.

Some of the attacks barely missed the people as screams of terror replaced the cheers. Further adding to the pandemonium was the incessant bleating of the fire alarms. The judges were horrified, unsure whether to leave their stands; the decision being made for them when a section of the stage collapsed right in front of them.

The panicked spectators flocked to the exit only to find them clogged by their own bodies. A vicious free-for-all broke out with the spectators punching, kicking and shoving each other in a desperate rush to escape the blaze

Embers landed onto some of the people from above, igniting some hapless spectators and sending some of them into a panic as they ran into others, spreading the chain of fire. Others removed the burning clothes as quickly as they could, discarding their modesty in favor of their life. Still others of them rolled onto the ground to put out the fire, only to be trampled by those trying to escape. Some of those fleeing caught fire as the human rug they ran over wasn't entirely put out. Some people managed to put out their fires, others weren't able to put it out fast enough and still others were reignited as soon as they had put the fire out.

May stood frozen amidst the nightmarish sight; she felt that in seconds her entire world was falling apart. People were dying left and right and it was all her fault; all she could do was wonder how everything had gone so wrong in so little time.

* * *

Drew watched in horror at the screen, as did everyone else. They were watching the train wreck unfold before them. At first they watched in interest at Blaziken's martial arts display. Their interest turned into laughter when May's Blaziken began to act up.

Interest soon changed to horror when they saw a metal section of the stage snap off from the heat and land on the judge's stand.

They watched as Mr. Sukizo's legs were caught under the metal bars. On impact, one of the spotlights exploded and sent a shower of white hot sparks onto Mr. Sukizo's pant leg, setting it on fire. Nurse Joy and Raoul Contesta escaped, abandoning Mr. Sukizo as he was burned alive, screaming for help that would not come.

They watched as the panicked spectators battered each other trying to escape the inferno. They turned away as some spectators were burned alive from the flaming debris that rained on the crowd.

They saw May's other Pokémon thrashing about or beating themselves in a desperate attempt to numb their pain.

Drew, eyes filled with fury as hot as the fires that raged on stage, turned furiously towards Harley. "What did you _DO_!" he thundered.

Harley's eyes couldn't stop watching the carnage onscreen. He could only shake his head as his jaw dropped. "This…this…isn't me…I…I didn't do this!" he replied. He was utterly flabbergasted that Drew accused him of causing the mayhem they were seeing.

Drew stared at Harley; the shock in his eyes said it all: this wasn't his doing. The green haired youth turned to look at his oldest rival. Solidad's once tranquil pools of azure were now quivering at the carnage on the screen.

Suddenly, an intense white light like the Sun filled the room, blinding everyone present. To their horror, the chaos spread and was now within the small and cramped room. Every poke ball had released its inhabitant, filling the cramped room to capacity. And every Pokémon was in the throes of the same affliction that had struck May's Blaziken.

Drew's Roserade held onto her head, writhing in pain while Harley's Banette gave a bloodcurdling screech in the background. Flygon rammed its head into the wall, instantly shattering it. Every scream from it caused orange beams of Dragon Breath to lance out, tearing holes in whatever they touched.

Harley's Cacturne began beating his own head with his arms, unconsciously stabbing himself with his spikes. Whether Cacturne didn't feel the punctures or didn't care, he continued to do so.

Harley ran over to Cacturne grabbing his arms in a desperate attempt to restrain him. Harley winced as blood began to seep out of his palms, but that didn't stop him from holding his Cacturne back. It surprised Harley to see his Cacturne's spikes actually making him draw blood, but he wouldn't let his Pokémon die for a few drops of his own.

It seemed that every inch Drew came closer to his Roserade, the more pain she felt. He had to make the tortured decision of keeping at bay from Roserade and watching her suffer or come closer and cause her more agony.

Solidad stared at her Slowbro, seemingly unaffected by whatever plagued everyone's Pokémon. Her Lapras was a different matter entirely, firing bursts of ice with every cry.

Some of the coordinators in the room either tried to calm their Pokémon or simply bolted, fearing for their lives.

A white lance of lightning pierced the ceiling as Harley's Banette used Thunder on itself. At that point, everyone's Pokémon began attacking randomly, completely destroying the room and killing whatever was unlucky enough to be in their path, human or Pokémon.

The flash from the intense lightning bolt blinded everyone; all Drew could see was purple as he jumped out of the way of the blast. His hearing soon failed him as well when an ear-shattering roar came in the wake of the Thunder.

"Cacturne, stop!" Harley yelled. He was totally blind from the flash and almost deaf from the roar of the thunderclap. Banette was still alive in the center of a scorched ring and blackened, unrecognizable bodies. Drew's eyesight slowly returned; his eyes landing on May's quivering form attempting to retreat to the hallway.

Drew's body moved forward without reason, he didn't know why he moved; his body just did so. He dodged a blast of water from her Wartortle and ran around her Venusaur, who had knocked down a wall.

He grabbed May's wrist, pulling her into the safety of the hallway. Her body sank into the wall; her shoulders continued trembling under Drew's hands.

"What were you doing out there? Did you want to get killed?" Drew scolded shakily. He was mildly upset at her for being frozen out on the stage when the mayhem started but at the same time, he was relieved that she had not been killed.

May could only stare into his eyes; her gaze was blank and dead, her cracking voice could only utter the word "Drew".

Her flushed face had streaks of tears, she was deaf to Drew as he yelled her name. Drew slapped her face, which partially bought her back to the present. Her body continued to tremble and she became conscious of the fact that was crying but she showed no intention of stopping.

Drew hadn't expected her sudden embrace; he did his best to hold her up when her legs failed her. He felt his shoulder begin to dampen, but that became the least of his worries. Her body was quivering against him; her skin was pale and cold to the touch.

Drew looked to his right, seeing Blaziken firing burst after burst of Flamethrower in random directions and assailing an invisible enemy with frenzy of kicks and punches just he saw it do before. But this time it was utterly terrifying instead of dazzling. He looked around as the rampaging Pokémon tore up more of the lounge. He braced himself for what he felt would be his inevitable death.

And as suddenly it started, it stopped. There was silence, save for the incessant shriek of the fire alarms. Drew looked out on the stage – or what was left of it. There, Blaziken and the rest of May's Pokémon lay unconscious.

He turned to his left and saw Harley's unconscious Cacturne on the ground; a pool of blood slowly formed under each of Harley's arms, now badly lacerated from his desperate attempts at restraining Cacturne. Drew took May's poké balls, aimed them at all of her unconscious Pokémon and recalled them. He went over to his own unconscious Pokémon and returned them as well after he examined each of them for sign of a pulse.

Few people had survived the onslaught; several Pokémon lay over the corpses of their trainers. Solidad had taken refuge behind the couch – or the charred and tattered mass of cloth and wood that used to be a couch. She had recalled all her Pokémon except Slowbro, who stared around the room in curiosity as if it had missed what had just happened.

Despite Solidad's calm demeanor, she was visibly shaken up about what had transpired, but then again who wouldn't? Corpses charred beyond recognition lay scattered in one corner of the room; mangled bodies lay in their individual puddles of blood, spilling from wounds carved into them. Walls had crumbled and limp limbs protruded through the scarlet stained rubble.

It was difficult to see if any Pokémon had survived as they were sprawled on the ground and painted in an amalgamation of everyone's blood. Trainers – some wounded, but all crying – stood silently over their dead Pokémon. Solidad remained silent throughout the entire affair, bottling up her screams and distress until later; luckily none of her Pokémon had died.

The room grew quiet as the few surviving coordinators bolted, some with their Pokémon, others without. Harley, Solidad, May, and Drew were the only ones who remained among the dead. Solidad saw Drew and May from the corner of her eye, releasing a breath it seemed she had been holding.

Before she could call out to them, she saw Harley recalling his Pokémon and bolting. His once white shoes were now stained red as he stepped over the bodies without remorse. Solidad went after him, calling out his name with worry and fear in her voice. She stopped at the doorway and looked back at Drew, torn between staying with them and following her oldest friend.

Drew motioned her to follow Harley by craning his neck in the flamboyant man's direction. No words were needed, Solidad understood and nodded. She had wanted to say something, but glanced down the street to find the distance between Harley and herself growing. She threw a weary glance at Drew and May before sprinting off. Once Drew was sure everyone had left, he pulled May into the streets of Goldenrod City.

May seemed to be in a daze, mute and obedient as Drew pulled her by the wrist. She seemed oblivious to everything, posing no resistance to wherever Drew dragged her. Drew was very careful to look out for anyone that might see them; he wanted to avoid as much attention as possible.

* * *

Both he and May made their way through the darkened alleys of Goldenrod City; it was only after Drew was satisfied with their seclusion that they stopped. He let go of May's wrist; she fell back and flattened herself against the wall as if she were trying to meld into it. Her legs were like jelly, giving out beneath her and making her land roughly onto her rear.

Drew had been holding himself steady with one arm against the opposite wall, trying to calm himself down. His heart was beating so fast; his mind thinking of too many things at once. No matter how many times he told himself to calm down and think clearly, his mind wouldn't obey.

He heard May's feet slide out from underneath her; he turned to see her fall. She made no sound to show if the fall had hurt her. Drew walked over to her, extending his hand.

"Get up, May," he panted, May gave no notice that she even heard. She sat there; limp, the only movements were shallow sobs and a quivering body.

Drew crouched down to her level, placing both hands on her shoulders.

"May…May, look at me," Drew ordered. At first she didn't, but became compliant, emerald met azure.

"May, you need to pull yourself together, okay?" he said.

May just stared at him as if he was speaking a foreign language; she tried to speak, but stuttered horribly at first. After a few more tries, she finally made a coherent sentence.

"I…I killed them" she said, her voice cracking.

"No, no you didn't kill anyone, it was the Pokémon. This was all an accident; it was no one's fault. You did nothing wrong," Drew said.

"T-they're my Pokémon, I…I'm responsible for-"

"There's no way you could foreseen this; no one could've controlled this. May, the same thing happened in the waiting room. People died, the Pokémon killed their trainers and each other. You need to calm down, can you do that?" Drew asked, gently shaking her for emphasis.

May didn't want logic, she just wanted someone to hold her and let her cry. Someone to tell her that everything was going to be all right and that this was all a bad dream. But there was no one there that could do that for her, except the person standing before her.

He wouldn't do it, only if she had asked him to, but the embarrassment would eat at her afterwards, she worried that he would hold it against her. The last thing she wanted to do was to look weak in front of him. Her parents would've done it if they were here, Ash would've done it if he were here. She had forced herself into Drew's embrace before; she didn't think she could do it again, for many obvious reasons.

This was something that Drew wasn't accustomed at handling; he had never seen May so shaken up. He didn't exactly know how to make it better, but there were other things that he needed to take care of.

"May, I need you to stay here while I go to the Pokémon center. I need to check out my Pokémon, if you want I can take yours too?" Drew said, getting up and heading into another alley. He already had May's Pokémon on his person.

May made the effort of getting up. "Wait! Drew, don't…" May trailed off. She wanted him to stay with her; she didn't want to be left alone in a dark and empty alleyway. Even if it meant being in an alley with Harley, she'd rather be with anyone than be alone at the moment.

Drew forced a smile, pulling something out of his shirt and flinging it at May. It landed perfectly on her lap; she looked down and was surprised.

"Drew, these are-!"

"Yeah, so if you don't believe in me coming back for you, then here's another incentive for me," Drew said with a smile. He nonchalantly batted away a stray strand of his green hair as casually as he could before running off in the direction of the Pokémon center.

May rubbed her eyes and dried her tears, her head hurt from all the crying. She looked in the direction that Drew ran in, then to the case on her lap that held all of Drew's ribbons.

* * *

It was after he was sure that he was out of May's earshot and sight, that he let himself shake, let himself worry, let himself scream and let out all the things he had bottled up around her.

His heart rate climbed, not because he began to run as fast as he could, but because of the stress. The running failed to put even a dent in his stress levels; he tried smacking and punching himself into normalcy. He squeezed his shaking wrist, choking it into stillness, but the shaking would not die; he felt as if the arm were no longer his own.

Drew eventually left the dark alleyways and reached the sidewalk where he found people all walking in one direction. He had to constantly remind himself that there was no reason he should be panicked. His logic finally reached his body and allowed him to stop shaking.

"_My Pokémon are fine, they're fine. They'll wake up; they're just passed out. I have no reason to worry. My Pokémon aren't in any trouble, they didn't kill anyone; they only damaged the area. Calm down, move slowly, and act normal. Be casual, you'll look less suspicious that way. No one's gonna find her in the alleyways, I'll just check out my Pokémon to see if their okay," _Drew said mentally.

He began following the crowd as to look normal, his face vacant of any expression, which ended up being harder than he'd imagined. The crowd was on the way to the Pokémon center so he went with it. He suddenly felt that something must've happened up ahead; everyone was heading in the same direction. Something, that if memory served, only happened when a disaster had occurred.

He was halfway to the Pokémon center when a huge crowd blocked the entire street. The entire river of people began to pool around the edges, making the crowd grow larger. Curious bystanders craned their necks to see what had happened; Drew fought off his curiosity and focused on getting to the Pokémon center, the faster the better.

Drew tried walking around the growing crowd; it was then that more police arrived at the scene. The crowd parted begrudgingly for the contingent of Officer Jennies. The parted crowd gave Drew a glimpse at the scene in the center.

Large holes had been punched through several buildings in a row, each hole bigger than the last. At the end of the destruction was a large crater, with a ball of pink in the center. Drew recognized the Pokémon from the size, the black and pink hide, and the stubby white horns on its head.

The Miltank was passed out, sprawled out on the ground and unmoving. Someone was hugging her as if for dear life, crying her eyes out. Drew could make out her features from a distance. Her pink hair was short, two tufts of hair poked out from the sides in the back of her head. Her outfit was nearly all white, except for the bands of pink that were at the edges of her shirt.

The Jennies began to shoo away bystanders, repeating the standard police speech of "there's nothing to see here, move along."

Drew rolled his eyes. _Nothing to see! That Pokémon just made house-sized holes through skyscrapers! I wonder why they haven't collapsed yet? _He thought.

He suddenly became wary of the damaged buildings before him, having the urge to leave as fast as he could. Some of the Jennies were working with the girl in white to pick up the Miltank and move her to a safer area. They were making little progress, barely lifting her off the ground. Everyone watched; no one made any attempt to help them. Drew stopped, his ethics battled with his paranoia on the inside.

Everyone just looked at each other, as if expecting the other to do what they were thinking. No one took initiative; none of the officers called for aid, so everyone just stood and watched, despite the obvious need of assistance. Drew became somewhat perturbed at the sight of the hesitant crowd.

_Wait, they're gonna be taking the Miltank to a safer place, it'll probably be the Pokémon center_! _If I go with them, the crowd will move out of my way and I can get to the center faster!_ Drew thought. He shoved his way through the crowd and made his way over to the struggling officers.

No one stopped him or questioned him on his way to officers. He positioned himself to help carry the Miltank; his extra strength was just what they needed to move her. It wasn't that he was very strong, but the extra hands did make a significant improvement with the lifting of the Pokémon a little over one hundred and fifty pounds. Even with the multiple people carrying Miltank, they all still found her still very heavy to move.

"I really appreciate what you're doing. Thank you so much," the pink haired girl said.

"Not a problem, I just can't believe all those people just stood there and watched," Drew said. He made no effort to hide his anger or the strain from lifting the Miltank.

"Are you a Pokémon trainer?"

"…No…why?"

"I guessed only a person who has Pokémon could understand and try to help out," the girl replied.

Drew wisely decided not to tell the girl that he was a coordinator, fearing it would link him to the incident only a few minutes earlier at the contest hall with all the police around him.

"Well anyway, my name's Whitney," the girl said.

Drew debated whether he should tell her his name or give a false name. After a few seconds, he felt it was safe to be honest, stalling with a grunt.

"Name's Drew," he quickly said.

* * *

The next few minutes were spent carrying Miltank over to the Pokémon center. People were flooding into Pokémon center, dozens entering and few exiting.

A Nurse Joy approached them with a gurney. Everyone gently laid Miltank on it. Each of the carriers gave a sigh of relief now that the weight was off their shoulders.

"We'll take it from here," the Nurse Joy said, pushing the gurney into the Pokémon center with little difficulty. Drew noticed that the Nurse Joy before him was the same Nurse Joy who had just survived the disaster at the contest hall. She was so frantic with everything that was going she hadn't noticed him.

Every nurse available had been put to work, as was the same with the police officers. Whitney followed the nurse into the Pokémon center, turning towards Drew as she walked away. "Thank you so much," she said, disappearing into the confines of the Pokémon center.

The Officer Jennies behind him were all talking in unison to their walkie-talkies, it was a wonder how they were able to understand what anything was being said. The words were rapid and frantic, the officers took a while to organize themselves into who went where; this wasn't the only accident tonight.

Before the officers split up, one stayed behind and turned to Drew.

"Thank you for helping us out there young man. Before you go, we just want to know if you've seen this girl," the officer said, pointing to a picture.

Drew tried not to make any reaction to the picture in front of him; right before him was a picture of May. His heart began beating faster; he could hear the thumping in his ears, hoping that the officer before him couldn't hear the same. Drew pretended to study the picture.

It was May wearing her old red outfit, holding her Bulbasaur against her chest. The background was that of the sea. Handrails behind her indicated that she was on a ship or a pier. Drew could tell that this picture was from a long time ago since May now had a Venusaur.

He tried not to pause for too long as not to arouse suspicion. "I haven't seen her," he replied, making sure to keep his eyes pointed towards the ground. If they couldn't see his eyes, they wouldn't be able to tell if he was lying.

"All right then, well thank you anyway, you've already helped us so much, I'm sorry that I don't have anything to give you. Tonight's not the best night to be out, I suggest you find a safe place to stay," the officer said.

Drew nodded, watching her trot away a few yards before calling her back.

"Wait, Officer Jenny! Just out of curiosity, why are you looking for that girl? Is she missing?" Drew asked.

"No, we were informed that she was responsible for an accident in the new Goldenrod contest building."

"What did she do? Is she dangerous?"

"We don't know, but she may have been responsible for the deaths of many people. We need her for questioning," Officer Jenny replied.

Drew nodded; "I'll keep an eye out for her and tell you if I see her," he said.

The officer smiled and began running into the direction of what was probably another incident. Once she was out of earshot, Drew sighed and turned towards the Pokémon center, only to see Harley waiting for him.

His arms were bandaged and his Cacturne patterned shirt was gone, leaving only his tattered black undershirt. Harley's hat was also missing, though the shadows of the night veiled his eyes.

Harley approached him with a form of self-torture. Every sashay of his hips brought about a wince as the pain wracked his body.

Drew couldn't help feeling somewhat bad for a Harley having seen him hurt himself for his Pokémon. His early departure must've been to get to the hospital.

"Where is she?" Harley demanded.

"Why would I know?" Drew replied. All pity he had for Harley instantly dissolved with that single heartless demand.

"Don't play retard with me. I know you went to go get your little girlfriend and you two waited for everyone to leave. Where is she? If you haven't noticed, the police are looking for her."

"Why do you care?"

"I think that the authorities should deal with May, that's all," Harley replied, feigning innocence.

Solidad exited the nearby hospital where Harley had been treated for his wounds. She ran over to Harley.

"Harley, you left your notebook in th-" Solidad said before a distracted and frantic trainer holding an unconscious Growlithe in his arms bumped into her, causing Harley's green notebook to slide towards them. All of a sudden, Solidad's path was momentarily blocked by a tall man rushing his unconscious and battered Eevee to the Pokémon center. Harley's heavily bandaged hands made it painful and difficult to grab his notebook. Drew decided to do it for him.

"Don't touch it!" Harley snapped. His command fell on deaf ears as Drew snatched the notebook off the ground, opening it as Solidad came into view. At first, Drew thought it was an album, but upon closer inspection he recognized several people in the pictures. They were all coordinators. Some of them had insulting and profane doodles scribbled over them, others were simply crossed out. The book was filled save for one spot.

"Drew? Wait, Drew where's May?" Solidad asked, scanning the vicinity.

Drew's eyes widened, a crazy idea had just popped into his mind, and part of him didn't want to believe it, Harley's notebook hitting the floor once more.

"You didn't…" Drew asked incredulously, trailing off.

"Didn't do what?" Harley asked with feigned innocent.

"You gave the police a picture of her and told them that she was a killer…didn't you?"

Harley was caught off guard by the statement and frowned, averting his guilty gaze from Drew. The action spoke louder than words.

"That girl's dangerous. She killed people and she nearly leveled the contest hall," Harley said in an attempt to justify his actions. Drew was momentarily stunned at the revelation.

"Harley, Drew, what's going on?" Solidad asked. She was unaware of the discussion that had previously transpired.

"YOU BASTARD! You're doing this just to get her in trouble! You can't let it go that she's beaten you; that she could be better than _you_!" Drew screamed, grabbing Harley's shirt.

"_Better_! Than _me_? That little bitch has been only been in contests for a few months; I've been in it for _YEARS_. I have more ribbons than she does, more experience than her. Sure, she got a few easy wins but that means _NOTHING!_" Harley thundered.

"Harley!" Solidad stepped back in revulsion at Harley's overt display of hatred for May.

"Can't you admit that she's special, that maybe she was made for this? You have no right to take something that she's good at away from her, it isn't fair; it isn't RIGHT!" Drew shouted.

"I DON'T CARE IF IT'S RIGHT OR NOT! She's not gonna get into my way of fame!" Harley bellowed.

"I…I just can't believe you're so…so…" Drew was so enraged that he couldn't even finish his sentence. His face was vivid red from the sheer anger he felt. He couldn't accept that someone he respected was being penalized for their talent.

"You disgust me in more ways than I ever could've imagined. I'm not gonna let you mess May up for your own selfish goals," Drew spat.

Drew's voice suddenly became a whisper as he grabbed Harley's collar and yanked him down to his eyelevel, his tone dark and angry. "And just so you know, I saw your Pokémon kill too. No one else might've seen, but I saw your Banette use Thunder. If she goes down, so do you," Drew hissed.

"Is that a threat?" Harley growled.

"No, it's a promise."

Drew walked past Harley, making sure to shove his arm out of the way, Harley winced. Drew had wanted to do more, like punch him in the stomach, but decided against it since making a scene would make things worse.

Drew looked around; everyone was too busy to even notice that they had been screaming at the top of their lungs. The sirens of the ambulances carrying the human victims to the nearby hospital helped mask the shouting match as well. Drew continued to walk, making his way slowly through the impatient crowd.

Harley bent down to pick up the pictures that had spilled out of his vendetta album. Solidad looked at him, her frigid stare catching his attention.

"What do you want?" Harley spat, his bandaged fingers fumbling with the photos.

"Harley…I…I always pegged you as an interesting guy and a great coordinator. You're one of my oldest friends… I never thought you would stoop this low. I thought you were better than that," she said. Harley did his best to ignore her pained expression.

Not once did he look up at her. He was busying himself with futilely gathering the pictures for the vendetta album. Solidad waited for his response, but after a few minutes of silence, she swiftly left without a word.

* * *

Drew finally managed to enter the Pokémon center; in all his life he had never seen it as busy as now. Dozens of Nurse Joys were running back and forth frantically to meet the needs of every patient. One could see that they were exhausted and sleep deprived by their movements.

Trainers, families, and coordinators much like himself were pacing nervously, crying, or doing something to console or distract themselves. Some of them were yelling angrily at the nurses for not attending their Pokémon first, as if they were more important than the others. Drew was so hypnotized by the simultaneous traffic or people that he hadn't noticed that one of the Nurse Joys had come to greet him, catching him by surprise.

"Excuse me, sir?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Huh, what? Oh, sorry. Yeah, I came here to have my Pokémon checked," Drew said.

The nurse gave an uncomfortable laugh while still trying to maintain a smile; beads of sweat were actually rolling down her forehead.

"Now, was your Pokémon physically injured severely, or did it just pass out after a spasm?" she asked, trying to be as polite as possible.

"I think all of them only passed out," Drew replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry then. As you can see, the Pokémon center is a _little _overloaded at the moment, all of our Chansey and Blissey were affected by whatever affected your Pokémon. We're a bit short on hands so we can only accept and treat Pokémon that were severely injured during their spasm, which doesn't include minor scratches, bruises, and bumps. If you yourself have been injured, then I would be happy to direct you to the human hospital. I hope you understand."

"Oh, all right then, but are my Pokémon okay?" Drew asked, hoping that he wasn't bothering her with too many questions.

"We've treated the Pokémon that only passed out, and they seem to be perfectly fine, they're in a deep sleep and all they need to do is rest. They should feel better in the morning."

Drew nodded and made his way out the center, feeling somewhat relieved that May's Pokémon and his own were fine.

* * *

It took a while for him to find his way back to the alleyways where he had left May. When he arrived he was relieved to see that May was still there, sitting and patiently waiting for him.

In her solitude, she had managed to calm herself down, convincing herself that it wasn't her fault. She found it a lot easier to place the blame on her Pokémon; even then no one could blame them for what had happened to them. It was happening to every Pokémon and was an involuntary action – or so Drew claims. She was mostly sad for the people who died and scared of what her Pokémon had done.

What puzzled her the most was why her Pokémon's attacks had suddenly become so...lethal. Had her Pokémon been hiding that strength from her all that time?

Drew cleared his throat loudly, catching May's attention nearly instantly. He looked into her eyes, and for once he really looked into them. They were on another continent, a foreign city that they had never been to before, far away from friends and family. At the moment, he was the only person that she was giving this look to. Her eyes were red and puffy from the crying, but still bright with hope and happiness.

"Sorry if I took too long," he said.

"No, it's fine. You weren't gone too long," May said, walking over to him. Each of her steps echoed off the dark walls. "Are our Pokémon okay?"

"Yeah, the Nurse Joy said they were fine, they just need some rest and that they'll be better before we know it," Drew said, he hated sugarcoating, but was willing to make the sacrifice for now.

"That's great!" May sighed with relief and handed his ribbon case back.

Drew had actually expected something along the lines of a hug; he had completely forgotten about the ribbons. He took them back, deciding whether or not to make a sarcastic remark. After a few moments, he decided not to say anything.

Drew tucked the case into his shirt; an awkward silence passed over them like the dark blanket of night above them. The quiet gave Drew a few seconds to collect his thoughts on what to do next.

They needed to get to place to spend the night. On his way to the Pokémon center, he had spotted a cheap but decent hotel that they could stay at.

His only problem was getting her there without anyone seeing her. He felt it would be best if he didn't tell her that the police were looking for her, he had just managed to get her into a calm and stable state for the moment.

"Drew, is…something wrong?" May asked. "You've been quiet for a while."

"No, nothing's wrong. Come on; let's take a shortcut to a hotel that we can stay at for the night."

"What about what just happened? We should tell the police. People died!"

"Everything's crazy out there right now, our Pokémon weren't the only ones that went berserk. The police have their hands full with the people who had Pokémon doing damage and accidentally killing humans. We can go in the morning once the city has calmed down a bit and explain what happened," Drew said. He knew full well that Harley had gotten to the police first and had the upper hand of having them take his word over May's.

May stared intently stared at Drew, as if trying to decipher his words.

"Look, trust me. Okay?" Drew said with a sigh.

After a few seconds of silent contemplation, May nodded, following him through the maze of alleys in Goldenrod City, no longer needing Drew to hold her hand.

* * *

"There it is. We can stay at that place for the night," Drew said, pointing across the alley. May moved over and saw the hotel and nodded. After several minutes of trudging through alleyways, they had finally come to the hotel that Drew had suggested.

Before Drew could take another step further he felt May's hand tug onto his shirt. He turned to see her holding out a few bills, enough to pay a night for both him and her.

"Take it, it's the least I can do after all you've done tonight," she said.

Drew took a second to decide what to do. He accepted the money, putting it into his pocket.

"I'll get the rooms, just sit over there," Drew said, motioning towards the couches in the lobby once they walked past the electronic sliding doors. The décor of the room was completely different from what she had imagined.

The interior was well lit, brightly illuminating the golden walls, accompanied by gold-bordered fans, beige furniture, dainty lamps, and a crimson rug that spanned the entire lobby. May sat on the couch, marveling the intricate designs on the carpet as she waited for Drew to come back. It was only a few minutes when he did, and he didn't look pleased.

"What's wrong? Is there not enough money? I have more; I don't mi-" she said.

"Don't worry about it…I…got us a room," Drew grumbled, averting his gaze from her to distract himself with the rooms furnishings.

May had noticed the subtle choice of words that Drew had chosen.

_Us_. _A_ room.

"I hope you don't mind," Drew said, turning back to meet her stare.

"N-no…don't worry…I don't mind," May replied, getting up and following Drew upstairs to their room. Once they reached the floor with their room, Drew opened the door with the cardkey, letting May in first as he closed the door behind him, waiting for the door to lock at the sound of an electronic beep.

May analyzed the room while Drew headed directly to the bed, collapsing onto it with a grunt. The room was cozy enough, a balcony outside a glass door with a full view of the streets below them. A bathroom equipped with all the toiletries they could possibly need, peach walls, caramel-colored carpeting, and a fully stocked obsidian-colored mini fridge.

May turned to where Drew lay, which is when May noticed it was only one bed.

"Drew? Where do I sleep?" she asked.

Drew buried his face and moaned into the sheets once the realization had hit him, blindly grabbing one of the pillows to his side.

May felt suddenly guilty as she watched Drew push himself off the bed and lazily toss the pillow into a random corner of the room and pull off the first layer of sheets atop the bed, dragging it over into the landing site of his pillow.

"Wait, Drew. You don't have to do tha-" she said.

"Why not? You paid for the room. It's only right that you get the bed. Besides, you're not the only one who's traveled, ya know. I know what it's like to sleep on the ground and this'll be a lot comfier compared to that," Drew replied, already settling into his "bed".

May glanced back and forth between the bed and Drew, finding still finding the situation rather unfair for him. He had done so much for her and having to sleep on the floor did not sit well with her. The fact that he had been there for her tonight and calmed her down meant more to her than the price for the room they were in.

"I don't mind sleeping on the floor either," she said.

"I'm fine right here, and it would be stupid not to use the bed when it's right there," Drew replied curtly.

"Drew, I'm pretty sure there's room for the both of us." May gazed back at the bed doing a mental measurement; her suggestion was more of a guesstimate.

Drew was resting on his side, his back to her. As she said the words "both of us", he turned his head to stare at her.

"Are you suggesting that we sleep together?" he asked. His tone oozed disbelief as he looked at her with one raised eyebrow.

May began to consider the ramifications of her offer, shifting her gaze down at the room's carpet that had suddenly become infinitely more fascinating as she twirled her fingers. She had slept in the same bed as her little brother, but this was Drew and a guy that…

"_At some point, he started in on you. You and only you. See, I think since he's been watching you grow stronger in your performances, he's gotten feelings for you,_" Solidad's words from long ago echoed in her mind.

"Well…I..uh…it wouldn't…I mean-" May said, stuttering. Her face had discovered new shades of red.

"May, it's all right. I'm fine here," Drew said softly. He now had turned his back completely to her.

May hesitantly started heading to the bed, looking back every few steps only to find that Drew had not moved a single muscle.

Drew could hear the rustling sound of May draping the covers over herself.

"You're sure?" May asked.

"Positive. Just turn off the light and go to sleep. You probably wouldn't be able to sleep next to me anyway. I have a habit of kicking and talking," Drew said. It was blatant lie but he was not comfortable with getting into bed with May.

And with that, the conversation ended. May reached for the cord to the ceiling fan and tugged it, flooding the room in darkness.

Drew's blush finally began to fade away once he buried the possibility of sharing the bed with her, chastising himself for even considering the scenario.

_As long as I keep her mind off of what happened today, it's fine. Tomorrow's probably gonna be a long day. Gotta expect the worse, but hope for the best._ Drew thought as he drifted off into sleep, the long hours of the night finally getting to him.

* * *

The inhabitants of Goldenrod City saw the disaster at the contest hall as a horrible freak accident. But what they didn't know was that the disaster heralded Goldenrod City's decline from the cosmopolitan hub of Johto's economy to the most dangerous city in Johto – quite an "accomplishment" since Johto itself would be regarded as a hostile no-man's-land by many in the near future.


	2. No Absolution

**This chapter would never sound as awesome without the help of my beta reader, Jakayrta. I really appreciate his contribution to not only this chapter but also the past chapters he's looked over for me. I would also like to thank Queenofspades19 for her help in the research for the prototype of this arc when I began this series. Without her help, I probably would've taken longer to make the prototype of this arc.

* * *

August 17

* * *

**

There was nothing in the hotel room but darkness. There was no sound save for the steady breathing of Drew and May. The stillness was shattered by a set of blankets flying through the air.

Drew abruptly shot upright from his "bed" on the floor. He tossed the covers off him as his arms shot forward. His breaths were shallow; the beating of his heart now painful as he futilely tried grasping the phantom ends of his nightmare. Nothing came to him and after a few seconds thought, he realized that he would never know the remainder of the nightmare.

He glanced down at himself. In the faint light of the sun that had managed to work its way through a crack in the curtains that veiled the glass patio door, he found out that he had broken out in a cold sweat. His shirt and sheets were drenched. His body ached, the effort of evading capture – thanks to Harley's vendetta against May – catching up to him. Drew's limbs were numb with fatigue for his sleep had been shattered by recurring nightmares. He glanced around the room and to his horror; he had no idea where he was. His heart raced even faster as he looked at everything – bed, walls, floor, ceiling – and was unable to place his location. Luckily, this feeling only lasted mere seconds; as he continued scanning the room, his memories began to fill in the blanks.

The green-haired youth gave a sigh of relief, letting gravity pull him back onto the carpeted floor; a light immediately bothering his eyes upon landing. Drew shielded his face with his hand and found its source to be the opposite wall. The sunrise had managed to squeeze through a gap in the curtains drawn across the glass door.

Drew's attention shifted to the bed before the curtains, only to find that May had not fared any better in her attempts at slumber.

May's sheets had taken residence on the carpeting; her socks, gloves, shoes, fanny pack, and bandana were scattered haphazardly around her bed. She was perspiring as if she were still running through the streets of Goldenrod City. She grumbled as she shifted into a more comfortable position, mumbling something indistinct but nonetheless laced with fear. Drew looked over to the room's digital clock, relieved to find it still early in the morning.

Drew tiptoed cautiously around May's scattered articles of clothing as if it were a minefield, making his way to the other side of her bed to retrieve the cardkey on the nightstand. He quietly slipped out of the room, hoping that the _beep_ and _click_ hadn't roused her from her sleep. His stomach grumbled as he slipped the cardkey into his pocket, he recalled seeing a vending machine just outside the hotel.

* * *

As Drew descended the stairs, each step seemed to bring a wave of repressed worries from the night before. He had pushed aside all responsibility until morning. Now that the night had passed and it was now morning, he was at a loss at to do.

_I know I told May we'd go to the police and explain everything, but she doesn't know about Harley. What will they do to her? What will they do to __**me**__? Will I be guilty for helping her? I bet Harley would like tha_t. Drew thought bitterly. Before he knew it, he was at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes were downcast; he remained motionless and silent at the base of the stairs.

The woman from behind the counter was about to ask him if something was wrong when a chime sounded from the automatic doors at the entrance of the hotel, yanking Drew back to reality and making him jump. A trio of Jennies had entered, one of them holding a stack of papers. The hairs on the back of Drew's neck began rise, the once calm tempo of his heart becoming erratic.

The police officers paid him no mind, their attentions directed at the woman behind the counter. The center Officer Jenny grabbed the top sheet from the stack of papers, holding it in front of the woman. She scratched her head as if trying to remember something before relenting and shaking her head. The Jennies nodded and pointed to the wall next to her, she nodded back.

Drew's heart sank before the Jennies had made their way outside the hotel; taped to the wall was a wanted poster. On the left was a blown up version of May's face, on the right was an equally inflated version of Harley's face. Below them were assorted information about them and the phone number for the Goldenrod City Police Department. The sight was bittersweet; Harley was finally getting what he deserved. Just before the trio of Officer Jennies left, Drew caught sight of something new; each Officer Jenny now wore a holster that carried a menacing .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol along with a spare magazine. Drew gulped; in all the times he had seen an Officer Jenny, he had never seen them with a gun.

_They mean business._ Drew thought. He began to pale, realizing what this meant.

Before Drew could mentally fume about the fact that May was now a wanted criminal, a sudden flash of light erupted from his pocket. Emerging from the light was Drew's Absol, his legs trembling beneath him and his eyes half-lidded. Absol ignored Drew's shocked and speechless expression, using his last bit of strength to run at the automatic doors.

His master had to know before he lost consciousness. His life and possibly everyone in Goldenrod City depended on what Absol knew. Drew snapped out of his shock and ran after Absol. The Pokémon of disaster leapt off the sidewalk and onto the side of the building across the street, scaling it with relative ease.

Drew had just made it out of the hotel, looking around before he heard Absol cry atop one of the buildings. Absol whirled his head, the sickle-shaped blade on the side of his head beginning to glow. Drew jumped back as a deep gash was suddenly sliced into the earth at his feet.

Chaos ensued at the sudden attack, pedestrians instantly dropping whatever they had and fleeing for dear life. Absol used another Razor Wind, etching another scar in the asphalt, this time further away from Drew. The screaming of the terrified pedestrians began to give Drew a headache; his eyes fixated on his Absol, now wobbling and dangerously teetering over the edge of the building.

Absol managed to use his third and final Razor Wind before collapsing over the edge and plummeting towards the ground. Drew reacted quickly, jumping onto his feet and running over to where his Absol would fall. Absol's eyes fluttered as he fought off the darkness closing in on him.

Just before blacking out completely, Absol fired a torrent of water from his maw, the Water Pulse slowing his descent. Drew stopped before the hole the water had punched through the concrete, his arms already extended to catch his Pokémon. Had Absol not slowed down his fall, Drew would've broken his body trying to catch over one hundred pounds of falling deadweight.

Drew slammed into the ground with a grunt; Absol's slowed descent merely prevented him from breaking every bone in his body. He lifted his head off the ground, reaching into his pocket and returning his Absol. He stared into Absol's eyes, wide with something Drew could only imagine being fear at that time before his entire body glowed crimson and the weight disappeared.

"What's gotten into you?" Drew whispered at the poké ball housing his Absol.

"Sir, are you all right?" a woman in the crowd asked, offering her hand to Drew. Drew recognized her as the receptionist from the hotel. Drew turned to her and took the outstretched hand. In mere seconds, he quickly realized his mistake. The woman stared into his eyes, as if studying him. Drew saw her expression change from concern to horror as the realization hit her, forcing her to look back at the wanted poster plastered on a nearby streetlight and then back at him.

She released his hand, walking as fast as possible back to the hotel. Drew fell back onto his rear. He quickly sprang to his feet and ran after the woman as soon as the realization hit him as well. Both of them had only just now made the connection between wanted posters and the fact that Drew had been seen with May. The receptionist could only walk so fast in heels. She did not make it very far before Drew "accidentally" plowed into her in his haste to get to the hotel, knocking her down to the hard concrete sidewalk.

Her panicked screams were muffled instantly as the automatic doors closed behind Drew. Drew's eyes frantically scanned the lobby, the counter, and the chaos outside the hotel's glass doors. He ran over to the counter, grabbed the phone and threw it away in an attempt to slow down the receptionist, who was now regaining her footing.

He ran up the stairs, fumbling with the cardkey at the door of his room, even dropping the key a few times. Finally the door opened and Drew slammed it shut. He turned to see if the sound had awoken May.

May was already awake and fully dressed; the TV remote in her hands and rays of light flickering off the walls of the room. Drew was pressed against the door, already breaking out into a nervous sweat and panting, the screams outside only barely audible through the glass patio doors. May hadn't even flinched when he slammed the door; her attention was solely focused on the T.V.

"May, we need to get out of…" Drew's voice suddenly trailed off as he traced her gaze to the television screen.

"Oh…shit," he muttered.

"**I'm standing here right now at the scene of the massacre where several Pokémon and their coordinators were killed within the Goldenrod contest building. Sources indicate that some of this was possibly caused by two coordinators,**" the news reporter said. Her face was now replaced with the wanted poster of May and Harley.

Drew's mind was now a mental stream of curses as he approached May.

"May, give me the remote," Drew ordered as calmly as he could. May complied, letting the remote fall to the carpet. She took a step back as Drew bent down to pick up the remote, pressing the red "off'" button so hard that he threatened to crack the remote, cutting off the reporter at, "**It is believed these individuals are dangerous. If you happen to see them, please call-**"

The channel blipped out of existence, leaving the room quiet.

"I'm…wanted?" May asked incredulously. The shock caused May to lose her balance and land on her rear. Drew threw the remote into the bathroom, hearing it clatter noisily as he attempted to pull May to her feet. Drew could hear voices in the lobby downstairs. He left May's side to go to the other side of the bed.

With every iota of strength, Drew pushed the bed across the room and slammed it into the door, shoving the nightstand behind the bed for good measure. He snatched his sheets and opened the glass doors leading to the balcony, nearly tearing the curtains off in the process. He hastily tied the sheets into a crude rope and knotted one end against the stone railing, tossing the rope over the edge. The rope dangled a few meters above the ground.

May sat lifelessly; the shock of being labeled a dangerous murderer was hitting her hard. Drew heard the door's lock snap as a group of what he assumed could only be Officer Jennies tried to break the door down and met resistance from bed now propped against the door.

"May, we need to get out of here right now!" Drew said, hearing the door shudder as someone jump-kicked it. May showed no sign of responding. Drew glanced at the door, shuddering under the barrage of kicks. He sighed; he had no time to be polite. He grabbed May rather roughly and dragged her over to the balcony.

"What else can go wrong? My Absol attacks me; we have to deal with the p-" he said.

Something inside May suddenly clicked at the mention of that name, vivid memories from long ago poured into her mind.

"Your Absol attacked you?" May interrupted. She scanned up and down his body as if in search of wounds, only to find none.

"I…" Drew trailed off as he looked over to the door, now threatening to come off its hinges. "Is this really the time to be asking that?" he asked.

"Wait, Drew. This could be really important, tell me what happened!"

_If it stops you from freezing up, I'll tell you what I know_. Drew thought, crouching down and holding May's foot in his hands.

"Drew, what're you doing?"

"I'm going to lift you onto the roof and then you're going to pull me up," he said.

"But what about the sheet you tied to the-"

"It's a false lead to get them off our backs for now. Once we're on the roof I'll tell you all about Absol," Drew said, cutting May off.

He lifted her up, waiting for her to grab onto the ledge before pushing her up the rest of the way. His focus shifted nervously from the door – now slightly open from the hail of kicks and threatening to open further – to May as she struggled to get the rest of the way up. She finally managed to throw one leg over the side.

Once she was up there, Drew leapt onto the stone railing and jumped up, grabbing the ledge with his hands. May grabbed Drew's wrist and pulled hard; he mimicked May's movements and hooked his heel onto the ledge, pulling himself up. They made it past the edge of the roof just as they heard the battered door finally come off its hinges. Drew lay on his back, exhausted by the effort of lifting May up. He was doing his best to quiet his breathing.

May tried doing the same, feeling like her hearing had been amplified as she heard the glass door slam open. She could hear the frantic voices of the Jennies at the balcony, the bleeps of their walkie-talkies. They could barely make out what they were saying. Something about how the perpetrators had managed to get away, how they needed to search the streets, and how they couldn't have gotten far. She willed herself to not make a sound but she felt like her heart was about to explode.

Sirens wailed all around the building, May knew full well they were meant for her…and Harley.

"I say we stay here until they go away, then we sneak out quietly," Drew whispered once he was sure his voice wouldn't be heard by anyone other than May. His voice managed to distract May from her own thoughts.

"And go where?" May demanded.

"…I'm thinking about it," Drew said after a minute of agonizing silence.

"Drew?"

"What?"

"Absol"

"Right!" Drew took a deep breath before speaking again. "Yeah, Absol just suddenly came out of his poké ball, went outside, and started attacking me from the top of a building. He passed out and I caught him. It was weird though, he didn't seem angry at me…more like…he was scared of something."

"He just came out of his poké ball?"

"Yeah…why?" Drew asked.

"Drew…Absol appear before people to warn them when a natural disaster is going to happen," May replied; she recalled a similar experience when she traveled with Ash, her brother, and Brock.

"And the attacking?"

"…I don't know about that"

Drew scratched his head as he scanned the skies. The sun was bright and there was no sign of an impending storm; there was not a single black cloud among the field of white. He shifted his gaze to the surrounding land. A landslide was impossible as Goldenrod City was located on a flat plain and Goldenrod wasn't in a seismically active area, so that ruled out earthquakes. The only place that Drew could guess a natural disaster could come from was the ocean and even he couldn't help but feel that a tsunami was unlikely.

They lay on their backs for several minutes, listening to the sirens drone on and on until they eventually faded away. Drew turned onto his stomach and began to crawl towards the edge of the building.

"I'm just going to check to see if the coast is clear, I'll be right back," Drew whispered before slowly dragging himself towards the ledge. May watched as Drew poked his head cautiously over the ledge before ducking back. Suddenly, Drew poked his head out again, staying out longer than before.

"Is it safe?" May asked.

Drew beckoned her with his hand to come closer to him, May obliged and crawled up next to him.

"I think you were right about Absol, May," Drew said, staring down at the gashes in the middle of the street. From where Drew had been standing on the street, it simply looked like Absol had missed him with his attacks, but from on top of the building, Drew saw what Absol had been trying to tell him.

"Drew…is that an-" she asked.

"Arrow? Yeah, I think it is, and I think we just got our answer as to where we should go. If what you're telling me is true and Absol thinks-"

"Knows."

"Knows…that there's going be some kind of disaster here, then he's saying we'll be safe in that direction," Drew said, pointing in the same direction as the arrow.

May peered as far into the distance as she could, she saw green plains in the distance with acres of forest beyond them.

"Maybe he wants us to be on higher ground?" May suggested.

"Maybe…" Drew's voice trailed off.

"Why did we have to run? The fact that we ran makes us look guiltier. If we had stayed we could've just talked it out with an Officer Jenny and sorted this out."

Drew chose his next words carefully. If May were to find out that he had known something more about her situation that he didn't tell her, it would not bode well for him.

"I don't think so. When I was downstairs and saw them, they had guns. They really think Harley and you are dangerous. I don't think talking to them will work. But what I don't get is why they are only coming after you and Harley. Just because someone told them that you two had killed all those people; it doesn't change the fact that our Pokémon weren't the only ones that went crazy that night. They don't have any proof to show that you caused all this," he said.

Drew's reasoning began to relieve a bit of May's stress, the idea that she could be absolved of her guilt and not live the rest of her ruined life as a criminal in jail no longer seemed impossible. She had a chance to return to her normal life, it was a small chance, but she was willing to take it.

"Drew, why are you helping me?" May asked, staring at the green-haired youth, who had given the sea of clouds his full attention. He closed his eyes and sighed, staying quiet for a few seconds before explaining himself.

"It's not right that you get blamed for all this when it isn't your fault. You're a great coordinator; you've got a real talent for it. Besides, just helping you and being with you after seeing what happened makes me guilty as well," Drew replied, casually brushing away a jade lock of hair from his face.

"Drew, I'm sorry you got dragged into this."

"Don't worry about it."

* * *

Once Drew was absolutely sure they were safe, they made their way off the hotel building. They continued to hop along the roofs, heading steadily in the direction Absol had told them to head. Both of them made sure to stay clear of the edges, lest they be seen by any of the pedestrians on in the streets or worse, lose their footing and fall.

Drew couldn't help but approach the ledges to satiate his curiosity. He was surprised to find the streets left in shambles. Crowds of people gawked at the damaged houses, shattered glass, and scorched sidewalks. Drew could only guess the houses had been wrecked by Pokémon that families taking residence within the house had kept as pets.

The angry voices of the people of Goldenrod gradually grew into a tumultuous roar of rage as Drew and May saw the mayor's office in the distance. A platoon of Officer Jennies did their best to keep order among angry mob. A barricade of police officers were all that stood between an angry crowd and the mayor.

The mayor's futile attempt at placating the crowd was drowned out by the angry cries of the citizens. Their complaints were the same, compensation from the damages their homes had received, the deaths of their loved ones at the hands of their Pokémon, but most common was the demand for an explanation to this chaos.

Drew forced himself to keep moving. He turned back to find May rooted to her spot on the roof.

"May we have to keep moving. If we stay here then someone might see us," he said.

"Drew, shouldn't we tell them?" May replied. Hearing the shouting of the irate crowd made her feel even guiltier about the deaths and damage her Pokémon caused.

"About what?"

"The disaster. They have a right to know."

"What exactly do we tell them? Hello, I just wanted to let you know that my Pokémon says there's going to be a natural disaster coming here," Drew said sarcastically, waving his hands in the air as if to emphasize the pristine weather conditions on this sunny day in Goldenrod City. No hint of a storm could be spotted for miles.

"There has to be some way of letting them know," May said.

"Like what? Absol aren't native to Johto, they only live in Hoenn, and even there not many people know about them and what their appearance means. I didn't know, I would've thought it was a crazy superstition. We have nothing to support the fact that there's a natural disaster coming aside from the fact that we saw a Pokémon whose appearance is a bad omen, I think the authorities want more proof than that," Drew replied.

"What if we give them a reason to evacuate the city?"

Drew rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. What are we going to do? Blow up a gas line? Call in an air raid? Come on," he said sarcastically.

"I don't know Drew, I just refuse to let all these people die when we know what's going happen and we can save them!"

"Do we even know when this disaster's going happen?" Drew replied calmly, his voice oozing skepticism.

May opened her mouth then closed it, looking at the ground in defeat. The disaster could be in an hour, a minute or for that matter, any time at all.

"We would only have one shot at this. If we get the people to evacuate the city and nothing happens; they'll never believe anything we say again. And furthermore, who's to say that the disaster if it does happen, will stop at the city?"

"So you're suggesting that we leave them to die?" May cried.

"No, I don't mean we…I just…don't you see the kind of situation we're in? We're not exactly in the position to be helping them right now. I want to help them; I really do, but if we don't do this right then no one gets saved!" Drew yelled in exasperation.

May was silent for a moment before she started moving again towards Drew. He took one last look at crowd – now only moments away from rioting. He glanced around the city, ravaged by as if by war. Wanted posters scrambled across the street in the breeze, those still pinned to the wall flapped frantically as if pining for freedom.

The police were spread thin throughout the city. They had to contend with the city's inhabitants demanding an explanation for damages, their loss, and their suffering. An explanation that Drew doubted they had, and the more the police stalled for time, the rowdier the crowds became.

It suddenly dawned on Drew as to why Harley's single call had suddenly made them enemy number one. The city was in disarray, people were frantic with fear and the police quickly found themselves unable to contain the chaos. They had no explanation, and they needed one fast. Any would do.

"May and Harley… they're scapegoats!" Drew muttered with a gasp.

The police didn't care whether it made sense or not; they needed the inhabitants to divert all their anger to something. That something being May and Harley. It was a lot easier to label May and Harley as mass murderers than to have no explanation at all. The fact that they were not from Goldenrod City or even Johto made things easier.

_What's going to happen to them if they get caught? Forget it! If I have time to worry, then I have time to think of something that can help us get out of this mess._ Drew thought, the uproar from the crowds becoming more and more distant.

"Drew, will it make a difference if we leave this place? I might still be wanted and arrested in another town or city," May said.

"Yeah, but at least we can tell them our side of the story without having to worry that the city or town we're in will be hit by a natural disaster," Drew replied. He quickly thought about how the wanted posters had been plastered all over town and how the gathering before had become a near riot. "Or if the townsfolk will try to kill us," he added. He looked around the rooftop; they were surrounded by other buildings but they would have to leap several meters across the gaps to the nearby buildings.

Drew peered over the edge, finding a fire escape that led to the streets below. Going through the streets was risky, but they had no other choice. He began to climb down with May following suit as they made their way down the stairs and ladder. Once their feet touched terra firma, Drew and May burst into a sprint.

* * *

May gazed back at Goldenrod City as she bolted down the road to the outskirts of the city. From where they were, no one would have guessed how the city was in a state of hysteria. Drew was barely holding himself up, his hands resting on his knees as his sweat peppered the dirt road. They were now miles away from the city, approaching what seemed to be a ranch on the fringe of the forests that covered the mountains.

_Absol wanted us to follow the arrow, he just didn't tell us where or when to stop_. Drew thought. He looked back at all the miles they had put between them and the city. They were both exhausted; the landscape outside Goldenrod sloped upwards into acres of mountainous forests making it harder to walk. They had a clear view of the entire city at the base of the mountains along the coast of the sea.

"Well, your Absol wanted us out of the city. I think we might be safe here," May said, gazing down at the trench to her left of where she stood.

They had followed a trench going on for several miles. Eventually the trench led them to the outskirts of what seemed to be a ranch. The trench hadn't stopped at Goldenrod; rather, it continued and went into the city through several buildings. Drew having a pretty good idea who had made the trench, hoping that the risk he was about to take would be worth it.

They made their way through the broken wooden fence; whatever had made the trench had plowed through it and left nothing but splinters. The trench finally ended but Drew continued walking up the hill before it and running down it with his last bits of strength. At the bottom of the hill were a red roofed house and a large barn.

"Drew, what are you doing?" May asked, cautiously going down the hill as she watched Drew approach the house's front door.

"If I'm right then we can stay here and rest a bit, I can't run or walk anymore and this should be safe," Drew replied.

"And what if you're wrong?"

"Then we're screwed," Drew replied, panting between words.

She watched as he knocked on the door, assuring herself that Drew wouldn't be doing this unless he was sure they would be safe. They waited a few seconds; Drew could hear footsteps approach from the other side of the door.

"Who is it?" the voice asked. May instantly identified the owner of the voice as a girl.

"It's me, Drew," the green-haired youth replied. He waited; the other side of the door remained silent. "The guy who helped you carry your Miltank," he added, hoping that would do the trick. The door suddenly flew open, Whitney appearing on the other side, much to Drew's relief.

"Wow, I can't believe it's you! What brings you here?" Whitney said with smile.

"We were following the trench that went through the city and ended up here. And how's your Miltank?"

"She's fine now, thank you so much for asking." Whitney lifted her gaze over to Drew's shoulder and looked May, still a few cautious steps away from the house, "I see you brought a friend," she said.

"Hi…my name's May," the brunette coordinator said; she smiled and waved nervously, surprised at how much taller she was compared to them.

"Well, come inside, you both look exhausted," Whitney said, opening the door wider and moving to the side to allow them entrance.

Drew shambled inside and let his exhaustion take over, May shuffled hesitantly behind him, stopping at the door.

"Come on in, I don't bite," Whitney said with a smile. May nodded quietly and entered. The wooden floors creaked with her every step as she entered the dining room, which was decorated in a classic rustic style with walls, ceilings and furnishings made of wood. Drew had already settled into a wooden bench next to the table. He let his arms hang, ignoring the sweat dripping off his hair.

"Uncle Milton, we have guests," Whitney said. May could hear heavy footsteps approaching them. The man that stood before them wore a light brown cowboy hat with a scarlet bandana that hung from his neck. His moustache and hair had grayed with age. He wore a brown leather vest over a white long-sleeved shirt which was now stained with sweat.

"Uncle, this is the guy I was telling you about this morning, the one who helped me and the officers take Miltank to the Pokémon center," Whitney said.

"So you're the young man who helped my niece, she hasn't stopped talking about you since she arrived here from the Pokémon center," Milton said with a chuckle, slamming his hand on Drew's shoulder, forcing him to wince.

"Uncle! I was not talking about him all day!"

Milton chuckled. "Ah, just playing with you," he said. He then turned to May and Drew. "I bet you would like something to drink, would you?" he asked.

"Yes, please," May replied.

Milton nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, May decided to take a seat next to Drew while Whitney sat across from him.

"So I take it you know Drew?" May asked.

"Not really, just from the other night. He was a really big help since no one came to help me lift Miltank to the Pokémon center," Whitney replied.

"Oh, I see."

"So what brings you two to Goldenrod?"

Drew gave a subtle side-glance at May, warning her to pick her words wisely. May understood immediately, sparing no time in replying, lest the delay raise suspicion.

"We're Pokémon trainers," May replied, Drew's eyes widened at her words; that was being almost as bad as telling them that they were coordinators, considering that he had lied to her the other night about not being a Pokémon trainer.

"I thought you said you weren't a Pokémon trainer?" Whitney asked. She gave a suspicious glance at Drew.

May's eyes widened, turning instantly to Drew. His eyes darted between May and Whitney.

"What she means is that I'm not really a trainer…yet. May's helping me catch a Pokémon. We set off on our journey together, but she caught a Pokémon before me," Drew replied, glaring at May for an instant. May nodded furiously in response but only after she returned his glare.

_How I was I supposed to know that he had lied about being a Pokémon trainer_? May thought.

"How long have you been in Goldenrod?" Whitney asked.

"Just a few days," May replied.

"You two should be careful out there, heard on the radio that there's some killers on the loose, killed a bunch a Pokémon and people," Milton shouted from the kitchen. "Murders…what's the world coming to?" he said with a sigh. The sound of the refrigerator door slamming shut nearly drowned out his words.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Whitney asked.

"Yeah, we have a room in a hotel back in the city," Drew replied.

"So…how long have you guys known each other? You two must be really close if you're sharing a room together."

"About a year, right Drew?" May replied. She could feel her face grow hot as she turned to Drew for confirmation.

"I think that's about right, but we're just sharing a room cause it's cheaper," Drew replied nonchalantly, closing his eyes in an attempt to appear calm, collected, and with nothing to hide.

Whitney's uncle entered the room, momentarily sparing the coordinators from Whitney's interrogation. He set down a wooden tray with several glasses of milk before sitting down across from May and grabbing himself a glass. Drew and May did the same, taking light sips.

May felt her fatigue suddenly melting away as she drank the white elixir. In mere seconds, the glass was completely empty. She felt as though she had woken up from a good long rest instead of jumping rooftops and running several miles uphill.

Whitney beamed as she watched their reactions as they drank; her glass was still untouched.

"You've never had fresh and pure Miltank milk before, have you?" she asked.

Both coordinators shook their heads, staring down at their glasses.

"It's been proven that kids who drink Miltank milk a lot grow up to be healthy, hardy adults," Milton added with chuckle.

"I can see why," May replied, downing the last remaining drops.

"My uncle and I sell our surplus milk and other products to the people in Goldenrod. We get paid handsomely since it's so good and we're the only Miltank ranch in the area. I also happen to be the gym leader of Goldenrod," Whitney said.

_Is that so? _Drew thought. He thought she looked a little young to be a gym leader.

"I know I look young, I'm 18 now but I'm actually one of the hardest gym leaders to beat in this region or so the trainers say."

It was then that everyone suddenly became acutely aware of the radio. It had been playing a jaunty western-esque tune as they sat down to drink their milk. But now, the song began to skip. Milton walked over to it, moving the antenna in every possible direction to get better reception but nothing was working.

The skipping gradually grew more severe until the radio died completely. Milton checked the radio's batteries and found that they were properly installed.

"Are the batteries dead, Uncle Milton?" Whitney asked.

"They shouldn't be, I just bought them a few days ago," Milton replied. He examined every inch of the radio, wondering if it was broken somewhere.

As Milton was examining the radio, the sunlight streaming through the window quickly dimmed and disappeared. Outside, ominous clouds began to gather and rain began to pour. Everyone was completely caught off by the sudden change in weather.

For an instant, everyone's vision became white. May and Whitney cried out while Drew and Milton did their best to stifle their surprise. The room enjoyed a second of silent tranquility as everyone waited for what would come next. They were quickly rewarded with the roar of thunder; the windows shuddered so violently that May thought they would shatter. The house creaked under the strain, threatening to buckle while anything not bolted to the floor began to jitter and clatter across the room.

Drew was the first to get up and head for the door; he couldn't fathom how a storm could have snuck up on them when the day had been so clear. He opened the door front door and was rewarded with what could only be described as a massive fist of air. Drew stumbled back from the blow, grunting as he was pelted with raindrops that he swore felt more like bullets.

May watched as Drew fought the wind, his purple shirt frantically billowing behind him like his hair. The wind began to die down, but the rain continued its onslaught. Now left unopposed, Drew ran at full sprint up the hill. He stood there, overlooking Goldenrod City and all its former glory. Large waves crashed onto the beaches, harsh winds relentlessly battered the city.

Drew's vision was stained purple as lightning bombarded the area with uncanny frequency. It was then that Drew noticed that the crackles of lightning didn't match the sounds of thunder. He could hear the sound of footsteps coming up behind him. The gales began to grow stronger again; Drew did his best to hold his ground as he turned to see May beside him, the winds threatening to push her down the hill.

May saw Drew extend his hand towards her. She took his hand as the winds stole her green bandana and shot it into the deepest parts of the forest. Drew turned his attention back to the city. The bolts of lightning converged on a single spot: the famous radio tower of Goldenrod City.

The radio tower was constantly undergoing repairs and modifications. With its latest modification, the signal was boosted to such an extent that its broadcasts could be heard in Johto, Kanto, Sinnoh, and Hoenn. As a result of its extensive and ongoing work, it soon became one of the largest man-made structures in Johto.

Whitney and Milton were next to arrive at the hill. Whitney immediately recognized what stood proudly upon the tower. She realized that the "thunder" they had heard was actually the roars of Raikou.

Arcs of electricity danced along radio tower's main dish, radio beacon, and lightning rod. But the snaking tendrils of lightning originated not from the sky but the Emperor of Storm Clouds himself. People had come out of their homes just to see the spectacle of one of the Legendary Beasts appearing before them.

* * *

The inhabitants of Goldenrod City flocked to the radio tower to see Raikou. Many of them were pulling out their cell phones and cameras to take pictures, forgetting the rain entirely. Those with cell phones trying to alert others of the event were immediately disappointed to find that their cell phones were now useless.

In fact, anything that was wireless was now completely useless. Through humanity's own invention, they would now be cut off from one another. Raikou would use the very tower that humans had used to connect to one another to silence them.

Ho-oh had sent Raikou to Goldenrod City for one purpose: stop all of humanity's wireless communication. Raikou did not show it, but he wasn't very proud of this job and didn't find it very fulfilling. He envied Entei and Suicune's missions; the former was to raze entire towns and cities, the latter was to find powerful humans that controlled Pokémon, and kill them.

He, on the other hand, was forced to stay in a single spot to make sure no one could communicate long distances. Food would not be a problem since he could receive nourishment through lightning. It was the boredom that he disliked, but it was Ho oh's order, and his words were law.

Raikou bared his teeth in a smile. _They stand around me as if to worship me. What fools they are! Wasting the time that they could be using to escape. I am a god to them now, but they have not seen a true god like my master. They will never see my master with their wicked eyes; only the pure have seen him and they are rare. _He thought.

Images of the three humans that had helped him escape his capture suddenly appeared in his mind.

_But…Is it fair to condemn an entire species of creatures? It was rare to see good humans. How could one tell if they were good or not? Or if they had the potential to become good? _

Raikou shook his head. He would not allow his mind to be tainted.

_No. Cease these thoughts; it is not my place to wonder these things. My master gave me an order, and it was not to think, but to give judgment. My master is kind; he will try to save Pokémon that can be saved, like my brothers and me. I shall smite Pokémon and human alike without mercy or remorse. This place is horrid; a perversion of nature. How they level our forests to make their homes, when they could very well live amongst it!_

_They create pollution in the air, the oceans, and underground, in the forests, on the land. They drag our species into fights with one another; capture us, taking us away from our families and homes. Their technology has made us blindly obedient before, but nevermore shall it wipe away our nature and make us blind._

"I am Raikou, Emperor of Storm Clouds and emissary of the Lord Ho-oh. I have come to deliver his message. For decades, he has watched your pathetic race defile our homes in the plains, forests and oceans! He has watched as you tear apart our families, enslave us and use us as nothing more than living weapons in these so-called 'tournaments'! For decades he has waited for your race to rise to his standards! For decades he has hoped that your race would coexist with ours. Those decades have passed and what does Lord Ho-oh see? Nothing! The same defilement of our homes! The same brutal enslavement and battles! No longer! We overpower and outnumber you and we will take back our world from your race! Your race will pay in blood for the miseries you have inflicted on us! Heed my words; the reign of Ho-oh shall soon begin!" Raikou roared. A lightning bolt struck behind him, silhouetting him. Windows cracked as he finished his speech. Wind and rain swirled around him, making the storm clouds on his back billow like a cape.

Raikou knew that the humans would understand nothing of his speech to them; had they understood, they would've fled. His speech had only served to bring out his emotions of anger and hatred. Raikou could wipe out the entire city on a whim if it had wanted to. A single Thunder would suffice, but it would destroy the radio tower – which was against Ho-oh's orders and violating his orders led to severe punishment. Raikou would have to pick off the humans slowly. Part of him wanted them to flee, but his other half wanted them to stay put.

_With them all bundled up together before me, in the large metal dwellings they consider safe, they make easy targets. The more I kill, the more my master will be pleased with me. If I followed my instincts, let them run for me to hunt them, many would get away and I would be wasting time when I could be killing._

May and everyone around her watched as a bolt of lightning flew from the purple mane of Raikou, arcing into the air before striking down onto the ground, frying the people below taking pictures and trying to call their families.

Those who survived the initial lightning strike fled – to no avail as serpents of lightning chased them down and electrocuted them. The streets crawled with arcs of electricity, igniting whatever was in their path. Lightning instantly silenced police sirens; the screams of the dying were drowned out entirely by the combined roars of Raikou and the _crack_ of lightning striking the ground.

Buildings were next. Lightning bolts struck skyscrapers like guided missiles, setting them on fire or knocking them down – or collapsing them into other structures. Smaller buildings like the Pokémon center that were spared the initial assault were the next targets. May and Whitney screamed in horror as the Pokémon centers were set ablaze before their eyes.

They could see some people that trying to escape the warzone by boat; Pokémon of the seas were now treated to a feast when the sailing humans met their demise. Water Pokémon began to crawl out of the ocean to attack people on the beaches. Loud, angry buzzes were heard from depths of the forests. Uncle Milton grabbed his niece – paralyzed by fear and awe – and dragged her by the wrist towards the house.

"Follow me!" Milton roared over the combined howls of the wind and buzz of the approaching forest dwellers. May and Drew barely heard him but still noticed Whitney's absence. They followed them towards the house.

"Into the basement!" Milton roared, literally flinging his niece in its direction as he ran into his house. Whitney ran to a pair of wooden doors angled towards the ground on the side of their house. She flung the doors open, practically leaping down the small flight of stairs.

At the bottom there was a second door, this one made of steel and unlocked. Whitney opened the door for them and waited for them to all enter before her; she looked to her uncle at the entrance of the basement, a pitchfork in hand.

He knew he couldn't do much with the weapon, but he could buy his niece some time, praying that the second door would hold, and that she would live. The buzz and drone from the forest was now deafening and the bushes at the forest's border began rustling. Whitney's uncle slammed the first set of doors; it would be the last time Whitney would see her uncle alive.

Whitney's eyes widened, her heart sank, tears already streaming down her face while the world she thought she knew so well was collapsing around her. The sound of her uncle's blood-curdling scream and sickening gurgle now etched permanently into her mind. She was left only with her imagination to concoct the horrific scenario of her uncle's death.

Drew grabbed her and pulled her into the basement, handing her over to May while he worked on locking the metal door. Whitney screamed, arms flailing towards the direction of her uncle, May hugging her tightly and turning her away from the door, a few stray tears escaping her as well.

With a loud _clank_, Drew managed to close the door and lock it, pushing off it and pressing against the wall on the far side of the room. Adrenaline surged through his veins. The sight of dents appearing in different sections of the door made his adrenaline flow even more.

May and Whitney took notice, backing up and joining Drew on the wall, even trying to push back further with the futile attempt at being as far away from the door as possible. A single light bulb suspended from a cord dangled from the center of the room, swinging and flickering with every blow the door took, light and shadow fought for dominance in the pale brick basement, devoid of anything, but themselves.

It was quiet. But in that brief and silent eternity, the door came off its hinges and slammed onto the ground, revealing an Ariados. Apparently, this was the same Ariados that attacked Milton; four pinpoint wounds on its abdomen steadily dripped blood on the floor. It turned to the three and clicked its mandibles. Drool pooled onto the door beneath it. It approached them, no emotion other than raw, savage hunger visible in its glossy black eyes.

The Ariados fired a silken strand of web at May, too fast for her to dodge. It latched onto her shirt, the Aridos already pulling her closer to its mouth. A web, stronger than steel, sealed off the only entrance; nothing could come in to steal the Ariados' meal, and nothing could escape.

The three resigned themselves to their horrific fate.

Suddenly, everything went white. Drew thought that the house itself had been struck by lightning, but there was no crash of thunder.

* * *

The invading Pokémon outside flinched when a flaming figure burst through the hole in the ground beneath the human dwelling. The flaming carcass of the Ariados collided with a tree and knocked it down, the spreading flames quickly doused by the rain. All the Pokémon within several meters of the house stopped and stood their ground, their attentions no longer on the city, but at the hole in the ground.

Two figures emerged from the basement, the former cracking his knuckles, his wrists ablaze and sizzling in a fight for existence against the rain. The latter, aiming the red and blue bouquet she had for hands at their opponents.

"This is gonna be fun," Blaziken said, his beak forming an approximation of a smile.

"Remember now, as much as we would like to get them all for trying to hurt our masters, we have to share," Roserade replied, stepping aside.

Blaziken sighed; he followed Roserade's motion, stepping to the side of the entrance and allowing the rest of their team to pass.

* * *

**I hope I've managed to keep everyone in character and I hope all of you enjoy this chapter.**


	3. Eye of the Swarm

**Sorry it's taken so long to get this out, two instances of writer's block and college work will do that to you. Anyway, I want to thank Jakayrta for taking the time to help me with this chapter. The chapter I had in mind was really long, so to not be too overwhelming this chapter is only half of what I've written. Hope the action isn't too overwhelming and I hope you like the chapter. **

**P.S. I wrote all the action scenes from scratch and used none from the original version of this arc (I hate reusing battle scenes) **

* * *

An oscillating emerald wave descended upon the barn. The acres of forest behind them were alive with the earsplitting buzz of insects. The shimmering downpour further assaulted one's senses, distorting the distance between the humming horde and their target. Blaziken's gaze shifted rapidly between the entrance of the basement and the oncoming swarm of Scyther. His very existence had elicited their primal urge to eviscerate everything in the area.

The Scyther approached as a single unit, intent on shredding everything they saw. As they caught sight of Blaziken's crimson feathers, the Scyther discarded all brain functions, save for unadulterated rage. They charged at him as a veritable tsunami of blades. The instant Blaziken caught sight of Glaceon's azure fur, he bolted towards the enraged swarm; tufts of dirt and grass met the driving rain several feet off the ground.

Roserade rolled her eyes and sighed. "He can't even wait until everyone else has made it out before going off," she muttered.

Dozens of Scyther charged forward only to find that their target had disappeared. A scalding breeze washed over them, in their confusion they turned to one another, their senses quickly coming back to them.

A gurgled screech sounded at the fringe of the forest behind them, the swarm turned as one to find Blaziken now past them. His arm skewered a Scyther's chest, his three-fingered hand wrapped around another Scyther's throat directly behind his first victim.

Blaziken's arm suddenly tensed, snapping the Scyther's neck with seemingly no resistance. In a single fluid motion, he wrenched out his right arm from his first victim's chest cavity; the flames that erupted from his wrist had instantly cauterized the wound. He stepped back, ducking beneath the blades that sliced the droplets of water just above his head; his victim's last futile attempt at retaliation.

His left arm slashed through the air, his fist slamming into the Scyther's jaw with his Sky Uppercut. Even the sickening crack of the Scyther's skull shattering could be heard over the roaring rain. The swarm was already closing in on him, embracing their savage nature at the first sight of red. The closest ring of Scyther met their deaths in a single sweeping blow. A scorching heel slammed into the sides of their heads, the force liquefying their brains on impact.

Blaziken glared at the new wave of Scyther that replaced the wave he had obliterated with one kick. He said nothing; his icy glare said it all: fight me, if you dare. They obliged, charging him as a horde. Blaziken met the charge with a barrage of vicious kicks and punches that tore through flesh and bone like they were air. But even as he viciously battered the horde, it never seemed to thin.

* * *

Near the besieged barn, Blaziken's allies leapt into battle, much to the shock of the invaders.

Glaceon fired her Ice Beam, dragging it across the rainy sky. The pale blue beam turned the harmless rain into darts of ice that tore through the stunned bug Pokèmon, eliciting shrieks of pain that were audible over the driving rain.

Flygon flung himself into the sky from the basement and unleashed a torrent of viridian flames. Anything unlucky enough to be merely touched by the supernatural fire burst into flame. Even more strangely, the fire actually seemed to take a life of its own as it ringed the battlefield. Now no one could get in – or out. The driving rain did nothing to dampen the roaring fire.

Wartortle jumped into battle. A thin, nearly invisible thread of pressurized water issued forth from his mouth. Dozens of bug Pokèmon fell to the ground, neatly sliced into pieces by the aquatic blade.

Butterfree was the next to appear. He flew over the carnage and made his way to the center of the battle. Butterfree flapped his wings frantically; the silver scythes of his Silver Wind attack melding together and forming a vicious tornado. The nearby bug Pokèmon tried to get away from the swirling vortex but the vortex's suction was too powerful. They were pulled into the mass of energy blades and torn to pieces. The raindrops temporarily turned blood red as the hapless Pokèmon were reduced to a red mist.

The Parasect and Venomoth began to finally retaliate; the scenes of death all around them had paralyzed them. Golden clouds of their Stun Spore wafted towards the defenders. Previously, all Stun Spore did was merely paralyze; now with the dampeners removed, the slightest contact could cause cardiac arrest. Their retaliation was in vain; the pouring rain washed the poison from the air.

Absol leapt out of the entrance. The blade on his head glowed white as he swung his head downwards, unleashing a blade of wind that left a deep furrow in the ground, along with bisected Parasect.

Roserade took notice as Munchlax and Skitty sprinted out the basement, making sure to put as much distance between themselves and the basement entrance. She decided to do the same; a few seconds later, the entrance of the basement exploded.

Stone, earth, and grass flew through the air airborne in the as May's Venusaur crashed her way through the too-small entrance. Roserade couldn't help but marvel at the strength required to lift over two hundred pounds off the ground and so high through the air.

She quickly realized that Venusaur was going to land and anything around her landing zone was not going come out unscathed. Roserade, Munchlax, and Skitty darted away, jumping into the air as soon as Venusaur connected with the ground. The ground beneath Venusaur caved in with a sound like an avalanche, the crater deepening and widening by the second.

The powerful shockwave caused the oncoming Parasect to fall; in seconds they were entombed under waves of earth. Two vines shot out from Venusaur's back, grabbing the closest Ariados and lifting it into the air. The Ariados's legs scurried madly as it struggled against the seemingly unbreakable vines. In response, the vines tightened around its thorax and abdomen. There was horrendous tearing sound as Venusaur ripped the Ariados in two, flinging the severed carcass at a nearby group of Venomoth.

Three pale blue beams lanced into the storm-grey sky – courtesy of Skitty, Wartortle and Glaceon – turning more of the rain into lethal darts and skewering more bug Pokèmon.

In the distance was Blaziken; he held a single Scyther – the sole survivor of the horde that attacked him – by the throat. Around him lay the scattered remains of the Scyther. He squeezed, instantly breaking the Scyther's neck. He threw the now limp carcass away and looked for more targets, of which there was no short supply.

Lavender shadows drifted across Roserade's vision. Several Venomoth now circled her in preparation for attack. Roserade took a defensive stance and counted the darting hunters, constantly moving as to keep all her weak spots protected.

"You really should pay attention to the ground," Masquerain said from above. The brilliant eyespots on his antennae seemed to glare at the invading Pokémon.

"And you shouldn't be out here, you know you can't fly in the rain," Roserade replied, still keeping an eye on the circling Venomoth.

"Yeah, but you look like you need some help. Besides, you were so focused on those guys in the sky that you would've let these guys sneak up on you."

Roserade lowered her eyes for a moment, scanning the field around her to find an oncoming horde of Parasect.

"Hey Rosy, how 'bout we do the combo Drew came up with?" Masquerain suggested, looking at the Venomoth horde, now seemingly increased in number.

Roserade glanced at the Venomoth swarm. Her silent contemplation lasted only a few seconds before she made her decision.

"Fine…and don't call me Rosy!" Roserade replied. She quickly faced his back as he moved into position and aligned his body with her face.

The Parasect and Venomoth kept their distance now and watched closely for an opening. The eyespots on Masquerain's antennae began to glow, causing anyone who looked into them intense terror. The Parasect and Venomoth began to back away; the combined force of Masquerain's Intimidate and Scary Face were a force to be reckoned with.

Roserade then started pirouetting; Masquerain hovered in front of her face, in perfect sync with her rotations as if he were a part of her. Pink petals began to drift off Roserade's bouquets, each infused with a hypnotically sweet scent, courtesy of Masquerain. The wild bug Pokémon held their ground, doing their best to ignore the petals now descending upon them like the driving rain. Their frantically beating hearts slowed in tempo as Masquerain's Sweet Scent soothed their very souls.

The bug Pokémon were enraptured by graceful rain of petals that saturated the air, their focus shifting to the two dancers. They paid no heed to carnage around them or the roaring of the flames that ringed the battlefield. Drew had made them perfect this technique a few weeks ago – he had planned the debut of this technique at that fateful contest, even going so far as naming it.

"Carnevale Masquerade," Roserade and Masquerain simultaneously whispered. They watched as the beautiful petals became razor-edged projectiles, shredding the Venomoth and Parasect beyond recognition. Within seconds, the crimson mist lingering among them was washed away by the rain.

Several wet thuds were heard as bisected Venomoth plummeted to the ground, courtesy of Flygon's vicious Steel Wing

* * *

Blaziken looked around him. He saw nothing but scattered body parts, rain-soaked scorched ground and his comrades protecting the barn. Suddenly, a silken strand attached to his wrist. He realized that a new horde of victims now approached.

"How sweet, they're lining up to die," Blaziken said with a sadistic chuckle. He grabbed the web and yanked it with all of his strength. The Ariados on the other end of the web flew through the air and met up with his flaming fist. In the midst of admiring his handiwork – a barely recognizable charred corpse – a String Shot latched onto Blaziken's heel. He quickly jerked his foot, dragging the Ariados across the wet dirt and splattering its brains across the ground with an ax kick.

More silk tendrils shot out from the forests and latched onto him. He grabbed each of the silk lines, pulling their occupants towards him and killing them with well-aimed punches or kicks. But even as he crushed Ariados underfoot, they still kept coming. What started out as something amusing quickly began to irritate him; he grabbed a silk strand on his chest and set it on fire; a smile reached his face as he heard shrieks of agony from the now burning Ariados at the other end.

In response, String Shot attacks seemed to fire from every direction. Strong as he was, Blaziken soon found it difficult to move, let alone attack. He resorted to spinning around in place, slamming the Ariados into one another but at the same time cocooning himself in the steel-like threads. The Blaze Pokémon's hands were pinned to his sides. He held his breath as the threads wrapped around his face.

He jumped into the air as high as his silken restraints would allow, pulling the Ariados into the sky with him. The top of the cocoon gradually began to glow brighter.

A massive vortex of flame erupted from the cocoon, enveloping every Ariados above and attached to it. Blaziken's silken prison was incinerated, the Fire Spin now towering over the barn. Charred corpses plummeted from the tornado of flame; one could hear the sizzle of the cool rain against the roasted bodies.

* * *

Solidad pressed herself against the concrete wall. She struggled to slow her rapid breaths. Her heart beat so fiercely that she felt that if she faced the wall, her racing heart would shake the wall apart. Solidad willed herself to be as quiet as she possibly could be hoping that she would go unnoticed.

She had made it to a storage room inside one of Goldenrod City's numerous small buildings. She had survived the scarlet army of Crawdaunt had flooded into the city from the sea, killing anything in their path. She watched fleeing pedestrians torn to shreds by their Swift attacks, pulled apart by their pincers and blown into pieces by their Bubblebeam attacks.

Slowbro's psychic attacks couldn't touch them and their combined attacks were too strong for him to deflect for long. She returned him to his Pokè ball, deciding to retreat and hide. Solidad looked around the room, a shelter only from the rain. Even then, that was only temporary.

She had watched Raikou level the entire area north of the radio tower. And to the south of the tower, an army of Crawdaunt marched towards the center – right where she was hiding.

"Damn, no way out," she muttered under her breath.

She jumped in surprise as the concrete wall behind her grew several degrees hotter; Solidad stifled a gasp at the sight of a star that burst through the wall and left a trail of scalding air. She looked at the wound in the concrete, glowing red like fresh lava. Solidad took her chances and peered through the gash, the blistering heat washed over her face, a constant reminder to not get too close to the opening.

Outside was a river of red. Shifting red as far as the molten window could show her. Every atom of her being screamed at her to run, but she remained paralyzed and continued to peer at the chaos outside.

Solidad recognized the move: the nearly ubiquitous Swift, prized by battlers and coordinators alike for its combination of unerring accuracy and dazzling beauty. Yet, it felt alien to her. She had never seen Swift melt a hole in a thick concrete wall; then again, this was a day of many firsts for her. As far as she knew, Swift never missed but the Crawdaunt weren't coming after her.

_So they're attacking randomly, they don't know I'm here_. She thought in a desperate attempt to console herself as she backed away from the wall. Solidad quickly assessed her options. Slowbro and possibly her Butterfree were out. Lapras was too large a target and she didn't know if she could ride Pidgeot past Raikou unnoticed. For that matter, she didn't know if any of her Pokémon had returned to consciousness from the other night.

Solidad wondered where she could go; but once she felt the building shudder and groan from the raging storm, she believed there was one destination: as far from Goldenrod City as possible. Riding out the storm was out of the question; Raikou's scorched earth campaign was so fast and vicious that it would be a miracle if any part of Goldenrod City survived even one day.

Her next thought was a nagging but unsettling question; was this happening outside of Goldenrod City? She hoped not.

Memories of her family rose to the surface of her thoughts. She had already decided on her new goal: go to Pewter City to find her family. If she made it out of Goldenrod City alive.

Solidad's thoughts were instantly shattered when the wall she had backed away from exploded. Her body was flung across the room and slammed into the opposite wall; a flash of white pain overwhelmed every one of her senses. A crimson figure stood out amongst the cloud of dust and the merciless rain.

Solidad felt her arms and legs trapped underneath the large broken slabs of the wall, her body coated in a thin layer of concrete dust. She did her best to pretend to be dead, feeling the Crawdaunt's stare once the dust subsided. She held her breath, lungs begging for air while the rain washed away the dust.

The Crawdaunt stood motionless and alone, its focus refusing to falter from her supposed corpse. Solidad prayed that it left soon or at least looked away from her to let her breathe unnoticed; her lungs were at the limit of the abuse they could take.

The Crawdaunt aimed its claw for another Bubblebeam attack. To its surprise, its own body seemed to disobey; there was no salvo of explosive bubbles.

Suddenly, there was the bloodcurdling sound of laughter. Right next to Solidad's prone form was Harley and his two companions, Banette and Cacturne.

Banette continued clutching his stomach and laugh as he pointed at the helpless Crawdaunt. His Torment had been very effective in disabling its Bubblebeam. Crawdaunt, not taking too kindly to this humiliation, opened its other claw and shot a barrage of glowing white stars at Banette.

He cackled manically, charging the Crawdaunt at full speed. The stars flew right through him, punching holes in the remaining concrete mere inches above Solidad's face. When Banette was a foot away from Crawdaunt, he rolled out of the way. Behind him was Cacturne. Before Crawdaunt could react, Cacturne's spiked fist connected with its head, the dull thud echoing around the ruin. The injured and enraged Crawdaunt prepared to pepper Cacturne with a hail of scorching stars. The sound of the scarlet shell cracking under the powerful blow caused Banette to start snickering.

In sharp contrast to the madly giggling Banette, Harley was stone faced with regards to Cacturne's handiwork. Suddenly, the viridian spikes from Cacturne's fist retracted abruptly back with a _shink_. Banette peered curiously through the holes in the Crawdaunt's skull. Like a macabre fountain, blood began to stream forth through dozens of new orifices, provoking a fresh onslaught of laughter from Banette. The Crawdaunt – now a husk – teetered for a moment before it crumpled onto the ground with a splash onto its own pool of blood.

Banette floated over to Solidad and pulled away the concrete slabs pinning her to the ground. As soon as he was done, he moved aside to let Harley help Solidad to her feet. If Harley noticed the bewildered stare Solidad gave to him, he didn't show it.

"Are you hurt? Can you walk?" Harley asked. He glanced around for any more Crawdaunt before gazing back at Solidad.

"I-I think I can walk," Solidad replied. She gave an experimental step forward, relieved to find nothing broken in her legs. Her back was sore; she figured that she'd find an enormous bruise if she were to examine herself. Thanks to the adrenaline surging through her veins, she felt could function fine, for now. But she knew that was only temporary; her back would hurt like hell when morning came. If she lived until then.

"Are you sure?" Harley eyed her skeptically, his voice holding a hint of concern.

"I'm fine." Despite her words, her wobbling legs told a different story.

Harley opened his mouth to say something but no words came out; he frowned and closed his mouth. Another one of Raikou's roars made the ground beneath their feet shudder. Harley briefly glanced back, almost as if to remind himself of the situation they were both in.

Harley's eyes met Solidad's eyes once more. He glanced at Cacturne, who immediately understood what his trainer wanted. He lobbed a glowing white sphere into the air behind them. A few seconds later, the sphere silently detonated, showering the streets behind them with thousands of razor sharp tetrahedral spikes

"Are your Pokémon awake yet?" Harley asked

Solidad glanced to where she kept her poké balls. "Slowbro's been awake since last night, but I don't know if the others are awake yet. I haven't checked," she said.

"Well check and do it quickly. I need to know if you have anything we can use to get out of here."

Solidad proceeded to summon her Slowbro first, then her Butterfree, Lapras, and Pidgeot. She was relieved to find them all awake and seemingly in tiptop shape. Solidad turned to Harley, his eyes resting on each of her Pokémon for a few seconds, as if contemplating what to do with them.

"How about your Pokémon?" Solidad asked.

"All of my darlings are fine if that's what you're asking," Harley replied without glancing at her.

"Harley…I heard what happened, on the news."

Harley visibly stiffened; he started to turn towards her but stopped, clenching his hand into a fist. Agonizing seconds ticked by as neither spoke, the only sounds being the roar of rain and the booming of thunder.

"…That doesn't matter now. All we have to – can do – now is get out of Goldenrod City, alive."

Solidad nodded, there were so many things that she wanted to ask him. But she knew that no was an inappropriate time. "Harley…thank you for saving me earlier," she said.

"Thank Banette. He found you. Not me."

Banette waved at her and smiled his zipper smile; Solidad waved back awkwardly before looking back at Harley, who seemed to be in a daze. His mind was replaying the record of how he had run through the alleys of Goldenrod City to escape the authorities.

* * *

**One hour ago in Goldenrod City…**

Harley had found out that he was a wanted man the hard way; only when the chaos began did the Officer Jennies stop tailing him. Raikou's destructive and murderous rampage had taken precedence over his capture; the Jennies gave up the chase to go stop Raikou. He doubted they would succeed – or survive.

It was only when Harley had arrived at the scenes of slaughter in the streets that his own Pokémon had decided to appear. They made quick work of the Crawdaunt, but as they pressed further and further to the coast, the opposition grew too strong. Harley was forced to retreat, having his Pokémon kill any Crawdaunt that crossed his path. Throughout his entire expedition, he hadn't found a single survivor; Solidad was his first and likely only one.

Harley wasn't sure how he should feel about his Pokémon killing so effectively. On one hand, he was grateful that they were keeping him alive. On the other hand, the fact that his Pokémon seemed to be enjoying the carnage they caused disturbed him. Wigglytuff and Banette were his two biggest concerns.

As he watched his Pokémon kill one Crawdaunt after the other, he began to notice how much stronger and faster they were. The way they executed the attacks was also much different from before; they had taken to slaughtering Crawdaunt en masse in innovative – and usually sadistic – ways.

But what truly frightened Harley was not his Pokémon; it was himself. He found himself enthralled at the violence his Pokémon dished out. Each blow, each mutilated Crawdaunt made him feel…proud. Proud that his training was what let his Pokémon rip through masses of Crawdaunt. He had always had been somewhat of a sadist in the contest arena; he loved watching his opponent squirm and struggle from the pain and embarrassment he'd inflicted.

But this was different; he could be shamelessly sadistic in the contest halls because no one died. Now it was no longer a contest but a full on life-or-death struggle. He had watched his Pokémon butcher anything they deemed dangerous, forcing himself to fight against his fascination. But yet, a cruel smile – like that of his Banette – slowly dominated his face. He knew that he should not be taking pleasure in the death of living beings but yet, he was. And he was desperately finding some way to justify his cruel pleasure.

* * *

A distant hum brought Harley back into reality, his focus shifting to the direction the buzz now increasing in volume, now that his Ariados had landed before him.

"How is it?" Harley asked.

Ariados closed his eyes and shook his head in reply.

"Damn!"

"Harley, what is it?" Solidad asked.

"I sent Ariados south of here to see if there was a way to get out of the city where the Crawdaunt were thinnest, but it doesn't look like that's the case. Hopefully, Wigglytuff had better luck," Harley replied, turning to the north.

"We might be able to fly out of here on Pidgeot."

Ariados shook his head, showing off the fresh scars on his flank.

"I don't think your Pidgeot could carry the both of us, let alone safely dodge the all the attacks they'll throw at us," Harley said, glancing at Ariados. The glass windows of surrounding skyscrapers shuddered from another one of Raikou's roars, reminding them of what they were up against.

Cacturne motioned towards the sky to the north of their position, Harley and Solidad turned to find a pink balloon heading in their direction. Wigglytuff quickly deflated to her normal size, pointing excitedly towards the direction she came from.

"I'm guessing she's saying it safer if we head north?" Solidad said, attempting to translate what Wigglytuff had said.

"Safer than the other places at least. Come on, let's get out of here before any more Crawdaunt or something worse comes," Harley replied, as he began returning Wigglytuff and Ariados to their Poké balls. Solidad also returned all her Pokémon, save Butterfree.

Solidad looked back to the east, watching towers of smoke rise into the stormy heavens above them. The reddish glow from the flames added a malevolent atmosphere to the skies already slashed through with Raikou's periodic lightning strikes. Thunder continued to boom loudly and rain continued to pour onto the city with no end in sight.

"What the…" Harley's voice trailed off as he peered north. He had seen a truly bizarre sight at the city outskirts: a flaming twister soaring into the stormy skies and towering walls of emerald fire. Solidad and Harley recognized the fire tornado instantly; those flames had been etched into their minds the night before when it had been a warning of the impending chaos that had now come.

Solidad grabbed a Poké ball and tossed it into the air as hard as she. The ball exploded in a flash of white light that materialized into her Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot, do you see May and Drew or at least their Pokémon?" Solidad yelled into the sky. Harley scanned the area, swearing profusely under his breath when his worries had been realized. A group of four Crawdaunt had heard Solidad's yell and prepared to strike. Cacturne landed in their midst, his arms reared back to strike. Like snow, Cacturne's Cotton Spore sprinkled over the Crawdaunt, slowing their reaction times.

Before the slowed Crawdaunt could react, an emerald spike protruded from each of their skulls and retracted quickly and silently. The additional Crawdaunt behind Cacturne were treated to dozens of sharp spines that skewered every inch of their bodies.

Harley couldn't help but marvel at the precision and efficiency displayed by Cacturne. He hadn't even ordered Cacturne to use his Needle Arm – or what seemed to be an enhanced version of it.

* * *

Pidgeot watched as May and Drew's collective Pokémon fought against the denizens of the forest.

She didn't see May or Drew, but couldn't think of any other reason for their Pokémon to fight so bravely.

She wheeled around and flew back to where Harley and Solidad were located.

* * *

After a flight of what seemed like hours, Pidgeot arrived back to her trainer. She had seen a literal wave of red heading towards Solidad and Harley. She circled a bit and landed gracefully at Solidad's feet and gave a curt nod to her earlier question.

"Are they okay?" Solidad asked. Pidgeot shook her head, watching the progression of Solidad's expressions from hopeful to pained, from pained to determined. Solidad returned Pidgeot almost without warning and briskly walked past Harley.

"Come on Harley!" Solidad yelled over her shoulder, almost as if commanding him. Harley was about to protest but surrendered when he reminded himself he was dealing with Solidad. He did his best to catch up while Banette and Cacturne followed suit.

As they made their way through several blocks they noticed there were no Crawdaunt in the area and looking around, one could easily see why. The streets were scorched black and covered in jagged scars, the dull red glow of which served as reminders of their origin. Steam rose from the gashes as they slowly filled with rainwater.

The surrounding buildings had been reduced to piles of smoldering rubble; the entire area reeked of ozone. Raikou's focus was currently elsewhere; his deadly bolts had wiped streets, homes, and buildings off the face of the Earth. Every crash of thunder caused Harley and Solidad to flinch; each knew that every thunderclap heralded at least a dozen deaths.

At any moment, Raikou could simply turn around and see them, vaporizing them with a single bolt. They moved quickly and silently, ducking under the cover of buildings and moving every time the asphalt quaked under their feet. They found no other survivors in the area; those lucky enough to survive Raikou's attack had probably fled long ago to meet their end elsewhere.

Solidad stared down the tunnel in the row of ruined buildings, wondering if it extended all the way out of the city. They needed to get to Drew and May quickly; the Fire Spin she and Harley had seen could've simply been an attack in the midst of their battle or a call for help. Regardless of the reason, May and Drew might be in need of aid and they just happened to be on the way out of the city. There was strength in numbers and whatever opposition they faced; Solidad knew that if they worked together, they could make it out alive.

Harley's attention suddenly shifted back to Solidad, a flash of white light erupting from her Poké ball. The flash of light materialized into Lapras.

"Do you want to get us killed? It's like you're seriously trying to get us noticed!" Harley hissed. He glanced back to make sure Raikou had not seen the flash of Solidad's Poké ball. He found it a bitter irony that that the safest place from the Crawdaunt army was the closest to Raikou.

"Just be quiet and hop on," Solidad replied, her voice a whisper. She mounted her Lapras.

"What _are_ you doing?"

"It looks like the holes in the buildings make a tunnel out of the city, I'm going to have Lapras make an ice path, and-" A white-hot star cut her off in mid sentence, slicing through the wall behind her.

Butterfree shifted in front of Harley, Lapras, and Solidad. A green orb materialized around him. Solidad and Harley took quick notice, watching a barrage of stars and explosive bubbles deflect off Butterfree's barrier. A wall of crimson marched towards them in the distance. But the Crawdaunt army was veiled by an almost solid wall of golden stars and clear bubbles.

Butterfree's Protect held for a while but it began to flicker and eventually dissolved into nonexistence. Harley summoned Ariados and ghostly violet embers began to orbit Banette, who for once was not laughing. Ariados fired a fully constructed web; the silken blockade forming between Butterfree and the onslaught of attacks.

Solidad summoned Pidgeot as Butterfree attempted another Protect, just managing to succeed a second time. Banette used Will-O-Wisp, setting fire to the web wall just as it was shredded by the rivers of stars. He darted away just as Pidgeot sent a gale of wind through it to fan the flames. A violet tsunami of flames surged down the street, washing over the Crawdaunt and burning them alive.

Harley tackled Solidad just as a salvo of bubbles soared over their heads. Each explosion added new layer of debris on them. Harley cursed their luck, watching the building behind them – their only escape – collapse on itself once the foundations crumbled.

Cacturne thrust his arms forward, a storm of needles intercepting the new hail of bubbles from the left. The explosions shook the surrounding buildings between them to pieces. Another salvo of bubbles punched through the clouds of dust once Pidgeot joined the fray. A blast of wind – courtesy of Pidgeot – sent the Bubblebeam back at its source, plumes of concrete and earth rose into the sky after the bubbles struck the Crawdaunt.

"We're screwed," Harley muttered into the ground. Solidad pulled out another Poké ball and activated it. The flash of light materialized into Slowbro. Cacturne aimed his arms to the sky and fired a volley of needles; lethal spikes bombarded the Crawdaunt like the raindrops that bombarded Solidad and Harley.

"Slowbro, lift the debris out of the way! Lapras, make a path with Ice Beam!" Solidad screamed over the sounds of the Crawdaunt attacking.

The concrete and steel ruins floated into the air, burying the hordes of Crawdaunt coming in from the right. An azure bolt burst from Lapras's maw, forming their icy and slick path to safety. Cacturne used Sandstorm, spinning in place and causing the smaller pieces of debris to be pulled towards him and reduced to a cloud of coarse sand, which he left as a barrier to slow down the Crawdaunt. Solidad pulled Harley onto Lapras's shell, both of them rapidly returning their Pokémon as Lapras inched forward.

With nothing to hold them off, the Crawdaunt surged forward, stopping short at Cacturne's wall of sand now between them and their prey. The Crawdaunt learned rapidly that anything attempting to venture past the shifting wall of sand – now more like a thousand tiny blades – would simply be reduced to a crimson smear. Many of the Crawdaunt shot explosive bubbles at it, only to find out that Bubblebeam was useless in breaking through the sandy barrier.

Harley and Solidad glanced over their shoulders; the sense of calm and security that had so desperately eluded them began to return. The moment was short-lived as an onslaught of golden stars burst through the wall of sand. Many of the stars missed Lapras entirely; the shots were obviously fired blind. But as more Crawdaunt joined in the attack, it quickly became apparent that sheer volume of fire overcame the lack of aim.

Slowbro had floated onto Lapras's shell, deflecting the Swift attacks as best he could but his protection wouldn't last long under such concentrated fire. Lapras did her best to put as much distance between the Crawdaunt and herself; Slowbro couldn't psychically push her and defend them at the same time. The attacks were reaching closer and closer to them and Slowbro's ability to deflect the attacks was rapidly diminishing.

Solidad watched as Harley pulled out a poké ball and opened it, the blinding flash forcing her to momentarily look away. She looked back, once the purple dots fading from her vision she saw an Octillery.

"Okay hon, hold on tight to Lapras and aim at the Crawdaunt!" Harley ordered. Solidad turned to find Slowbro now collapsed onto Lapras' knobbed shell. Harley had yet to give his next command when a star sliced deep into his left shoulder, barely missing Solidad who had just returned Slowbro.

Harley opened his mouth to give the next command, only to hear his own cry erupt from his mouth. His vision blurred as his eyes watered. Octillery turned around in concern to which Harley pointed back at the Crawdaunt with his good arm. Octillery understood almost immediately and did what he was told, forcing himself not to look back despite his master's cries of pain.

"Hyper Beam!" Harley shouted through gritted teeth. Octillery was too happy to oblige.

The Crawdaunt directly behind the wall of sand were treated to an incandescent column of orange light that instantly incinerated them. Octillery's suction cups anchored him to Lapras's shell as a constant river of energy streamed from his mouth. Solidad's body abruptly jerked back from the sudden acceleration. The rows of buildings that flanked them began melding into a blur as Lapras picked up speed.

Solidad wrapped her arms around Lapras's neck. The fierce wind pulled at her cheeks while she reached back to grab Harley's hand. Harley watched the path of ice behind them and the surrounding buildings shatter and crumble from the force of the blast and their speed. He felt like he was going to be pulled off Lapras from the sheer velocity they were traveling at. His shirt seized him by the throat as he flapped in the air like a flag.

Harley managed to turn his head and he found Solidad grabbing the collar of his shirt, which was now choking off his air supply. Solidad felt like her entire arm was going to come off, but she held on. Fear had already settled in Harley's heart at the sensation of being rendered practically airborne, but nothing could compare with Solidad's fear towards the scene behind them.

Curiosity got the better of him as he turned back, his own horror stricken expression matching Solidad's.

A single tendril of lightning was trailing behind them.

Raikou had noticed them.


	4. Reign of Lightning

**I want to thank Jakayrta for the excellent job that he did with this chapter and the idea for this chapter title. I also want to thank J Cortez for pointing out one of my mistakes so that I could fix it. Seriously guys, point me out any legitimate mistakes you see so that I can make this story better for you. **

* * *

Whitney, Drew and May fought to keep their footing as Venusaur burst through the basement door and into the chaos outside. Rain, brick, and dirt poured into the new entrance. They stayed pressed against the wall for an entire minute, their ears bombarded with the chaotic soundtrack of driving rain, explosions and screeches. Flashes of lightning provided them with brief flashes of the violent battle outside.

The stillness of the basement was shattered when Whitney bolted for the entrance; May and Drew stood frozen and dumbstruck as they watched her pass through the portal. Whitney clutched at the slim possibility of her uncle's survival like a lifeline. After a few wordless seconds, May pushed herself off the wall and sprinted after Whitney in hopes of dragging her back to the safety of the subterranean dwelling.

Drew followed them, seemingly unaware of his own actions. He ran after them despite his every instinct of survival screaming at him not to. It was once he reached the surface that he found May in a catatonic state, wide-eyed at the sheer brutality what she was seeing; Whitney was nowhere in sight.

Drew tried to say something but his mouth refused to obey. He wanted to grab May and drag her back to the safety of the basement but alas, his arms and legs refused to obey. He could do nothing but stand in shock.

The two stood frozen in place at the eye of the storm. They could barely process what they were seeing; carnage, absolute carnage as their Pokémon fought the seemingly endless swarm of savage bug Pokémon.

* * *

Whitney, heart pounding with adrenaline, frantically darted from place to place among the killing field as she searched for her uncle. It was only by sheer luck that she managed to not get hit. Not that she would have cared much; all that mattered was Uncle Milton. It only took a minute but it seemed like an eternity as she spotted her uncle in the midst of the battle. She ran towards him but her jubilation turned to horror as she approached.

She suddenly felt like she had been on the receiving end of an Ice Beam attack as she laid eyes on her uncle. Milton's body had been hastily wrapped in silk; the Ariados responsible was nowhere to be seen and had left its work unfinished. He lay motionlessly within the haphazard cocoon. Whitney's legs buckled and she fell to her knees, not caring that she had just gotten the gory mud on her clothes. Her trembling hand hovered over him, as if she were afraid. Milton's eyes stared into the sky, as lifeless as the towering thunderheads above them. Whitney did her best to hold back sobs as her shaking hand pressed against her uncle's cold and clammy brow. She slowly dragged her palm across his face and closed his eyes.

Whitney stared at him, as if expecting him to open his eyes, hug her and convince her it was all a nightmare. She stood there, heedless of the violence occurring around her. All she could do was stare; stare at the unmoving corpse – wrapped like some grotesque present – that had once been her beloved uncle. She desperately wished for a breath, a twitch, _anything_ to show that Milton was still alive. And yet, the more she stared at the body, the more she fought reason, the harder it was to deny what had already dawned on her, the painful truth that lay before her. Her beloved uncle was dead.

Her tears burst forth, ragged sobs audible over the din of battle.

* * *

An Ariados burst from Glaceon's shadow with Shadow Sneak, its hind leg slamming into the side of her head. A path of ice formed over the wet grass as Glaceon tumbled halfway across the muddy field. The Ariados screeched in pain, one of its legs had frozen and shattered upon contact with her coat of icy quills.

Skitty suddenly felt a presence behind her, lashing out with her tail but connecting only with empty shadows. Suddenly, she felt a stabbing pain in her back. That stabbing pain soon progressed to a nearly unimaginable burning as the Ariados's lethal venom flowed into her veins.

The Ariados turned around in search of other targets, ignoring the victim impaled on its horn like some sick trophy. Before it could make a move towards the downed Glaceon, its head exploded in a spray of blood and brain matter as Munchlax's glowing fist slammed into its face. Skitty's body went flying from the force of the blow and tumbled into the shadow of the forest.

Skitty screamed both from the pain of the impact and the indescribable agony that arose from the corrupted blood that coursed through her veins, destroying everything they touched. She fought through the pain, struggling to get up before anything could take advantage of her vulnerable state. She tried to get up only to have her legs buckle. Her strength left her as the Ariados venom in her blood began to slowly digest her organs. Several shadows darted from the trees and encircled her shivering body. The last thing she saw before she succumbed to the lethal injection were several Pineco, all beginning to glow an incandescent white.

* * *

Munchlax scanned the battlefield, Skitty nowhere in sight. He doubted she could've gotten far, despite how hard he had punched the Ariados. He tried to ensure that his attack did not connect with her at all but he knew that nothing is perfect and there was a tiny chance that he had struck both her and the Ariados. He frantically called out to her, trying to be heard over the din of battle. In reply, several thunderous explosions ripped through the air and flaming pieces of uprooted trees rained down on the battlefield, their fire quickly extinguished by the driving rain.

* * *

Pineco began to swarm from the forest. Blaziken took notice of several Pineco attempting to surround him. One of them began to glow a brilliant white. Sensing what was coming next, Blaziken acted quickly.

He lashed out with a kick, sending the Pineco flying into a tree, causing it to explode upon impact. Splinters and mulch rained over Blaziken as he slammed his elbow into another glowing Pineco. Roserade watched Blaziken knee another Pineco, sending the glowing projectile into the sky where it exploded harmlessly like some morbid firework. His movements had lost their liquid flow; each punch, each kick seemed to be slowing down.

Blaziken knew it, Roserade knew it and worst of all – the wild Pokémon knew it. Out of their group, he had taken out the most Pokémon, but now fatigue was settling in. No matter how much he denied it; no matter how much he forced his body to fight, his shaking body gave it all away.

* * *

A Parasect struck the empty air where Munchlax had been only an instant before. Munchlax plummeted down from several meters above, his fist reared back and glowing. Absol leapt at the Parasect, his head blade glowing white as he neatly bisected it with his Psycho Cut.

He made it a few short feet past the dying Parasect, only to collapse, convulse and foaming at the mouth. A faint cloud of purple dust trailed from the open wound in the Parasect's mushroom and Absol's head blade had a very slight purple tint. Touching the Parasect was suicide; a fact Absol learned too late.

Before Munchlax could land near the dead Parasect and its lingering cloud of poison, a sapphire aura outlined his body as he rose above the battlefield. Butterfree had used his psychic powers to carry him several meters away to safety.

* * *

Masquerain now lay on the ground, his wings soaked from the rain and making it impossible for him to take to the air. Roserade circled around him, daring anyone to cross her. His eyes followed her movements as he cursed himself for becoming a liability.

A single scream pierced through the roar of the storm. Every Pokémon now had their attention at the screamer.

"MUNCHLAX! RUN!" May screamed.

Munchlax spun around in search of her. He was interrupted when he came face to face with a glowing Pineco directly behind him. He reared back to punch the offending Pokémon away but it was too late.

May's horrified cry shattered Drew's trance as the explosion hurled Munchlax into the air. He landed several meters away, his singed body still smoking from the blast. May wanted to go up to him and see if he was okay but she never got the chance; Drew's arms wrapped around her before she had even taken a step forward.

"Let me go! Let me go!" May cried, wriggling in his hold. Drew didn't have the heart to tell her it was too late. If he let her go; if he let her enter the fray; if she got killed in this madness; he would never forgive himself. His grip began to falter at the sight of Roserade being lifted into the air, her body enveloped in a cerulean aura.

* * *

Masquerain's baseless threats went unheeded; the Parasect drew closer to him with lethal spores at the ready. Roserade fought against the psychic force that forced her neck to turn in ways it was never meant to. The Venomoth stared into Roserade's eyes; her breaths now shallow as her neck reached its breaking point.

Drew's arms lost their strength and fell to his sides. May made no intention of running, despite her new found freedom. Her eyes were now on Whitney, hunched over her uncle's corpse. The idea of the nightmare repeating now played within May's mind. An Ariados approached Whitney from behind.

Suddenly, splinters of wood showered May and Drew as the wall behind them practically exploded. The Ariados that was behind Whitney was gone, replaced by a deep trench that snaked across the battlefield. Roserade fell to the ground, the Venomoth that had once held her hostage now had an iron fist lodged in its brain.

Masquerain felt the earth beneath him quake as something veiled him in its shadow. The new arrival trudged over to the horde of Parasect that now began to backpedal at its arrival. Nidoqueen reared her arm back, aiming at an unfortunate Parasect that hadn't retreated fast enough. Before Masquerain could warn her about the toxins released upon killing the Parasect, she had plunged her fist through its mushroom.

Nidoqueen kicked the Parasect away; a sickening, sucking _pop_ issued forth as she wrenched her arm free. The purple mist of poison swirled towards her; she took a deep breath for good measure.

"She's a poison type like me!" Roserade exclaimed, getting up to thank her savior and apparent new ally. Clefable landed next to her, swinging her arm to dislodge the Venomoth's body from her steely fist. Whitney's Miltank uncurled after she had flattened the Ariados behind her master, standing before Whitney and dead uncle for a few silent seconds.

Miltank's expression was a mix of disbelief and sadness; she had known Uncle Milton for years. If looks could kill, then the surrounding wild Pokémon would have died a thousand times from Miltank's glance alone.

Another pink blur revved past May and Drew, splattering any Ariados that happened to be in its path. A horde of pink and black balls sped from the ruined barn, carving gouges in the wet earth and crushing anything in their way. Dozens of Miltank remained within the barn, not daring to follow their compatriots into the heart of the battle. They had spent their lives doing nothing more strenuous than grazing and chewing cud and the battle that raged outside was out of their league.

May and Drew began to notice that they were beginning to attract unwanted attention. Before either of them could run, Flygon reduced a nearby Parasect to cinders with a Flamethrower and ripped apart a Venomoth that happened to cross his path with a Dragon Claw. Several Parasect advanced on the duo but were flash-frozen within a column of ice thanks to Glaceon's Blizzard. She finished off the hapless Parasect with her Iron Tail attack, scattering pieces of poisoned ice around the battlefield.

* * *

Blaziken's wrists flared to life as he cocked back his fist to punch a nearby Parasect. The next thing he felt was not the satisfying squish of his fist plunging through the Parasect's mushroom but Nidoqueen seizing his fist. He watched – not without a bit of anger – as she punted the Parasect across the field.

"Save your strength, you've done enough. I will take over from here," Nidoqueen said, surveying the dozens of dead Scyther, Ariados, and littered remains of Pineco all around him.

"I can still fight, I'm not d-" Blaziken panted in protest until Nidoqueen gave his hand a tight squeeze, he winced as she threatened to break his hand.

"I _said,_ save your strength. Was I not clear?" Nidoqueen smiled sweetly as she spoke. Blaziken flinched at the words as if they were whips. The instant she released his fist, he jumped back, massaging his hand before looking back at her.

"Clear as crystal," he replied, running off to guard May and Drew.

* * *

Drew ran over to Masquerain, returning him back to his Poké ball. Masquerain had only just entered his Poké ball when Roserade tumbled past Drew. She rapidly turned around only to come face to face with another Venomoth – the same Venomoth that had tossed her past Drew. The two stared at each other; the Venomoth's eyes betraying only one emotion: bloodlust. Roserade was lying on the ground and barely able to move but stared back with an expression that radiated determination. The stare-off was short lived when Clefable's Meteor Mash connected with the Venomoth's skull from behind, spattering Roserade with bits of Venomoth brain; not that she would have cared since she was now unconscious.

Drew did his best to shake off the fear that had paralyzed him, running over to the unconscious Roserade. Flygon and Butterfree flanked him as he returned Roserade and looked for the last Pokémon of his team.

May slowly walked towards Munchlax. Venusaur cleared a path through the legion of glowing Pineco with her Vine Whip, lashing out with heavy vines that sent them flying through the air, their staccato explosions easily heard over the raging storm. Wartortle and Glaceon flanked May while Blaziken took the rear. The three were simply to protect May against any approaching attackers; it was Venusaur at the front who cleared the path.

She found Munchlax's body and bent down, pressing her ear over his chest in search for a heartbeat. Instead, she heard the loud gurgle of his stomach growling.

May was torn between tears of joy at finding Munchlax alive or laughter from the rumble of his stomach. She grabbed her Poké ball to return him before he sustained any more damage. She scanned the field for Skitty but instead found Drew slowly walking across the war-torn ranch. Absol's bleached fur stood out easily amongst the mayhem, the clouds of poison that had stopped his heart had long been washed from the air by the rain, leaving only his corpse behind.

May averted her gaze; she didn't know what to say to him; no amount of comforting words could mitigate the pain of his loss.

* * *

The herd of Miltank began to thunder around the field like lethal pinballs, crushing or splattering anything they touched. Despite their combined assault, they quickly dwindled in number. Clefable watched as one Miltank splattered a Parasect and died instantly from the contact with the poison like how so many of the other Miltank died. She ran to stop another Miltank from colliding with a group of Pineco, but was already too late. The powerful blast flung her back several feet. As the dust began to clear, all she could see was a smoldering crater and bits of flaming Miltank landing on the sodden ground with sickening plops.

The defenders of the ranch fought valiantly but they could no longer hold on against the seemingly infinite number of bug Pokémon that streamed out of the forest. Within minutes, only two Miltank out of dozen had survived. Clefable was quickly growing tired; Nidoqueen remained strong but even she had her limits.

May started asking her Pokémon if they had seen Skitty. They said nothing and averted their gaze; their action saying it all. Drew's entire body was trembling, the raindrops that streaked his face effectively hid his tears in their midst. He turned away from the dead Absol at his feet. The ring of emerald flames around the battlefield had succumbed to the relentless downpour, leaving only scorched earth in its wake.

She didn't want to accept Skitty's fate at first. She strained her eyes, desperately trying to see the pink Pokémon that was no longer there. Her eyes now working against her as the world began to shimmer as tears began to flow. May's Pokémon busied themselves with standing guard over her, preferring to distract their own thoughts with guard duty than having to think about the loss of a teammate and see May's grief.

Suddenly, a path of ice materialized out of thin air as an azure blur surged across it. Solidad jumped off with her back to the ground, Poké ball already aimed at Lapras. Her eyes widened at the column of lightning thundering towards her like a runaway freight train.

It was too late to recall Lapras. The second she hit the ground, before she could recall Lapras, the lightning bolt struck. The image of her Lapras being incinerated was now permanently etched onto her retinas.

The path of ice instantly evaporated; the soil below now an incandescent glassy ravine stretching for several miles through the ranch and into the forest. Without warning, the rapidly expanding air in wake of the lightning battered everyone nearby with the shockwave of thunder. Harley crouched into a ball and stayed that way, his bandaged hands clamped over his ears.

The sonic blast flung May, Drew, and some of their Pokémon onto their backs. Harley felt his insides squirm and quiver as his body was bombarded by the blast of sound at point blank range. Parasect and Ariados were sent tumbling across the field while Venomoth and Pineco now flew through the air.

* * *

Nidoqueen stood before Whitney with her arms outstretched as airborne Pineco collided with her back and exploded on contact against her sturdy scales. She refused to give an inch; each blast violently shaking her body. Black scorches marred the cobalt blue plates on her back.

Uncle Milton's body was thrown into the forest by the force of the sonic boom; Whitney unconsciously reached for him, her eyes unable to see past the veil of shadows that devoured him. She made a motion to crawl in his direction, but felt something tug at the ends of her drenched shirt.

Whitney turned, now at eye level with Nidoqueen who intently stared at her, as if peering into the very depths of her soul. A level of understanding that transcended speech, formed by years of training, solidified between them. Whitney broke eye contact for an instant to glance over her shoulder but stopped herself before she looked into the forest. No matter how many tears she shed; no matter how hard she grieved, or how long she stared into the dark abyss of the woods; her uncle would not come back.

* * *

Harley felt multiple shadows converge on him at once. He prayed that they were not the emissaries of his death.

"Harley?" one of the shadows said.

At the sound of his name he slowly rose, gazing up from the muddy earth until he reached May's eyes. Her hand was outstretched towards him; he stared at it, the gesture practically foreign to him. Eventually he took it, feeling May put every ounce of strength into getting him onto his feet.

He quickly took notice of the large group of Pokémon standing behind her, his heart rate spiked until he reminded himself that they belonged to May and Drew. It was then that he noticed Drew wasn't there. As if on cue, a pair of footsteps sounded behind him. Harley turned, his wet and bandaged hand still cradled in May's palm.

* * *

The steady stream of sizzling hisses grew louder as Drew approached the glowing glass canyon. The air was saturated with stench of ozone and steam making Drew nauseous. He willed himself to keep running and decided to breathe through his mouth instead, leaping over the glowing canyon and sliding over the wet grass and into a kneeling position over Solidad's body.

She opened her eyes; the scene of her Lapras dying still replayed over and over again in her mind. No matter what she did, she could not erase the sight of Lapras's eyes bursting and her skin scorching as thousands of volts surged through her body, burning her alive.

"Solidad! It's me, Drew!" he said. Drew gently shook her for good measure when she simply stared back at him and didn't respond.

* * *

"Harley, are you okay?" May asked, her gaze resting on Harley's shoulder wound.

Harley stared at her, surprised by the concern in her voice, and more so by the fact that it was directed at him.

"I-It hurts to move my arm, but it's nothing too serious," Harley replied, pulling at his shirt until it revealed the wound, cauterized by the heat of the star. Luckily, it hadn't made it to the bone, but it made any movement very difficult to do without pain or worse, the threat of reopening the wound.

Harley began to notice the wild Pokémon were beginning to flee, stumbling over the countless corpses of their brethren.

"There's something wrong here," Harley said.

"What tipped you off? " Drew said sarcastically. "The destruction of the city? The fact that those wild Pokémon are trying to _kill_ us?"

"Those wild Pokémon are gone," Harley countered, pointing out onto the ranch; not a single living bug Pokémon had stayed behind.

Every wild Pokémon in the area had quickly gotten the message and made sure to steer clear of the ranch or for that matter – humans. May, Drew, and Whitney's Pokémon were quick to notice the unified retreat. The wild Pokémon clearly outnumbered them and had they continued their assault, they would've won but at the cost of many deaths. Whatever had made them retreat was far worse; bad enough to make them flee even with victory so close at hand.

Blaziken couldn't blame them for wanting to run; just remaining on the ranch violated every survival instinct nature had hardwired into him. He'd been feeling on edge ever since Raikou's lightning entered the fray. As soon as that thought occurred, it dawned on him as to why the wild Pokémon had fled.

"Why would they lea-" May's question was answered when Drew's Butterfree flew past them and used Protect.

Milliseconds after the green barrier came up, another train-sized lightning bolt crashed into them. Bolts of lightning deflected off the shield, the electric tendrils lashing out randomly at the field around them. Blaziken wrapped an arm around May and leapt away with all his strength.

Venusaur leapt to the right with Harley in tow. Each Pokémon darted away from the attack, leaving Butterfree to contend with the torrent of lightning. They knew that Butterfree's barrier would hold until the attack ended.

Butterfree's Protect held for exactly five seconds.

Everyone's eyes widened as the barrier cracked and shattered and Butterfree was vaporized within the column of heat and light. The bolt continued across the ranch, tearing through Whitney's house and the barn like an electric spear. The thunderous shockwave that followed threw firebrands several meters all around. If the explosion of thunder hadn't deafened them then Whitney's piercing scream almost certainly did. It didn't take a professor to know that every Miltank still inside the barn was now dead.

Venusaur used the bulk of her body to shield everyone behind her from the blast. Drew's eyes seemingly peered through Venusaur and fixated on the spot his Butterfree had been just seconds ago. His mind had yet to register that his Butterfree was now dead.

There was no charred corpse for him to bury, not even a wing or an antennae. The only trace of his Butterfree's existence lay in Drew's mind, forever remaining as a reminder that he had lost another Pokémon.

Solidad pulled out one of her Poké balls and opened it, the flash of light making everyone around her flinch – even Venusaur. The expected roar of thunder was replaced by the cry of Solidad's Pidgeot. Solidad got to her feet, sprinting over to Pidgeot and hopping on, wrapping her arms around Pidgeot's neck.

"We have to get out of here! NOW!" Solidad yelled. Pidgeot launched himself into the air with a single flap of his wings. Flygon swooped in and landed before Harley and Drew, his body angled to let them onto his back.

Harley's eyes followed Solidad's ascension into the black skies, ominous flashes lit up each thunderhead. The low rumble of thunder echoed through the area. Shadows flitted from Pidgeot's body; within seconds, an entire flock of Pidgeot now took to the air, each with their own Solidad.

Drew's heart nearly skipped a beat at the sight of another bolt of lightning split the sky and skewering through several Pidgeot. The explosion sent the rest of the flock tumbling through the air, their movements oddly synchronized. As one, the flock began to right itself with a dozen or so Pidgeot to replace the ones lost in Raikou's attack.

No sooner had May returned her Pokémon, Blaziken turned on his heels and burst into a full sprint, grabbing May and Whitney as he went with her Pokémon in full pursuit. The rain pelted every inch of their faces as the world melded into a tunnel of colored blurs. Drew and Harley caught brief glances of Blaziken's body through the gaps in the forest beneath them as they rode atop Flygon.

A burning tsunami of leaves and lumber rose after another acre was bisected by one of Raikou's Thunderbolts. His attacks were becoming fiercer with each passing second; more and more of Pidgeot's shadow doppelgangers were getting caught in the blasts. Blaziken glanced back, horrified to find that Nidoqueen nowhere in sight. Clefable and Miltank had managed to keep up with him, the former hovering off the ground with her wings and the latter turning herself into a living wrecking ball, demolishing anything in her path.

Harley and Drew remained fixated upon Solidad and her Pokémon; her Pidgeot's ability to use Double Team now exhausted. Pidgeot's remaining duplicates began to fade out of existence with his descent; the extra weight from his rain-soaked feathers making flight impossible. As he fell past the cover of forests, it was as though sound in its entirety had died.

Seconds passed without incident in the deafening silence; no dramatic plume of earth to mark the landing, no deafening crash to make them wince. The roar of the downpour suddenly flooded the void of silence in an instant and threatened to deafen them more than the silence did.

"Flygon, head towards where she landed!" Drew ordered. Harley surveyed the forest below now slashed left and right with glowing glass gashes, their orange glow standing out like open wounds against the dark forest.

* * *

Blaziken quickly took notice that the lightning attacks had stopped by some miracle. The moment he slowed his pace, his fatigue came rushing back, threatening to makes his legs buckle from the strain. Despite his efforts at picking up the pace again, the damage had been done. He could no longer move and Whitney and May were proving to be too heavy. The two slipped from his grasp.

* * *

Flygon dove through the sea of trees, landing a few meters short of Solidad's landing site; or if their nightmares were realized like everything else this night – her grave. Harley and Drew both leapt off Flygon, splashes of mud accompanied their every step. They batted aside any offending branches that impaired their vision and progress as they sprinted through the forbidding woods.

They finally found Solidad in a small clearing, propped up on her arms. Pidgeot had been returned to his Poké ball to rest; there was nothing more he could do at this point.

Harley and Drew unanimously let out a sigh of relief when Solidad turned in their direction. Every inch of her body was caked in mud save a few streaks of skin where the rain washed away the filth. Aside from the dirt caked onto her skin and ground into her clothes, she seemed perfectly fine. It was only when they came close enough that they noticed her ears were bleeding.

Solidad felt Harley and Drew lift her to her feet, only to catch her when she lost her footing and found herself unable to stand on her own. It felt like her head was throbbing from the waves of pain, dodging lightning bolts had kept her alive but not unscathed. Her hearing had been severely damaged from the barrage of the booming thunder. Even the pouring rain sounded more like muffled white noise, making her immediately worry whether the hearing impairment was permanent.

Solidad strained to hear Drew and Harley, the effort proving futile. The only thing she was able to discern was from the tone of their voices was that they were angry. She lifted her gaze off of the countless ripples on the mud puddles at their feet and up to their faces. The hints of anger in their voices were betrayed by their worrying eyes and if she didn't know any better, she could've sworn that some of the raindrops were actual tears.

* * *

Miltank and Clefable protectively stood over Whitney, currently attempting to fold into herself into the ground. She wanted nothing more than to have the earth swallow her whole. She no longer wanted to take part in watching the death and destruction of nearly everything she held dear, she no longer wanted to suffer the punishment known as survival, she no longer wanted live on with the grief of knowing what she had lost.

The two Pokémon peered through endless acres of forest, desperately searching for any sign that Nidoqueen was still behind them. A minute passed without incident. Both of them fought with the decision to go back for her; going back could mean suicide, but moving forward meant abandoning a comrade, a friend with whom they had shared many years together.

May held herself against a tree, turning to see Whitney still curled up into a little ball on the muddy earth. She made a motion to move towards her but stopped herself halfway through the motion.

What could she say to someone who had lost everything?

In that moment, everything around them gradually began to grow brighter, the forest's shadows distorted and stretched as a blinding luminance threatened to swallow them. May and Whitney glanced up to find the stormy heavens now alight with several scattered halos, burning with the light of a hundred suns.

Bolts of lightning began to converge on a single point within each halo, Blaziken decided not to wait what would happen next. With his final atom of strength, he grabbed May and Whitney and burst forward.

* * *

Solidad, Harley, and Drew watched their shadows stretch across the clearing and join the shady outer rim of the forest. The electric rings strewn haphazardly across the skies began to crackle like the all too familiar nightmare they had thought was over. One electric halo ominously hovered directly above them.

Flygon lurched forward, his arms wrapped around Drew's waist while his tail wrapped around Harley's waist. Solidad felt Harley's arm seize her like a vice, nearly succeeding into pulling her arm out of its socket. Flygon flinched as he flew through the canopy of branches; his lack of altitude had let a thick branch land a hard blow to Drew's head.

Drew's body instantly went limp, the tips of his fingers dragging against the forest surface for a few seconds before Flygon forced himself to fly higher. Harley's wounded shoulder exploded with pain as he desperately tried not to sink his nails into Solidad's flesh; her weight threatened to reopen his wound.

New crowns of lightning materialized above them, peppering the forest directly behind them with electric death. Flygon was finding it harder and harder to fly out of the range of the barrage of lightning with the weight of an extra person. Each explosion painfully flung and twisted Solidad's body, the forest behind them now replaced with colossal blossoms of flame.

Each blast jerked Solidad's body further away from Harley who watched helplessly as his hold on Solidad's wet forearm began to fail, each passing second revealing a new inch of skin. He willed himself to hold tighter, disregarding the pain that ripped at his arm and shoulder.

The explosions were growing louder. Harley could now feel the heat from the distant domes of fire caress his face. Flygon's speed had gone down considerably, the reason becoming apparent when Harley's emerald eyes met Solidad's calm azure gaze. She gave him a weak smile, his hold now slowly sliding past her wrist.

"GRAB MY HAND! DON'T YOU DARE LET GO!" Harley shouted only to have it drowned out by the thunder. He was unaware that she could not hear his voice over her thunder-damaged ears.

Solidad made no effort to grab onto him. She was fully aware that if she held on, none of them would escape the lightning bombardment behind them. Harley desperately squeezed the ends of her fingers; his final plea whispered to her. Solidad closed her eyes before he could see them start to shimmer. There was so much she wanted to tell him in so little time, so many things she wanted to see and do and now, there was no chance of doing any of them.

She gazed back at his horrified expression; his shimmering eyes a mixture of rain and tears of pain. Her opinion of him had changed the other night; there was a side of him she had never known. She had liked him for being such an interesting person and it had saddened her to know he harbored such a dark and cruel side. But in the last few minutes she had spent with him; her opinion had changed once again, if ever so slightly and for the better.

The harder he tried to endure the pain and hold onto her, the more she saw the good in him. Despite all his faults she was willing to accept and forgive him, because in the end, wasn't that what friends did?

Solidad closed her eyes for what would be the last time, struggling to keep her serene expression. Saying that she had no regrets would've been a lie; she had wanted to see Pewter City, her family and Brock for one last time. One final contest against May, Drew, and even Harley would've been a dream come true. But she knew what she had to do if they were going to survive and in that she found a small bit of solace.

"Harley, please take care of Drew and May for me, okay?" she whispered. Her fingers were weakly entwined with Harley's own fingers and they were slipping fast. Harley struggled to retain his grip on her but it was in vain. A new explosion tore her from Harley's grasp.

Harley let loose an anguished scream and desperately clawed at the empty air as he watched Solidad plummet into the raging inferno below them. His screams would reign victorious over the roars of thunder. Flygon's sudden burst of speed rapidly became irrelevant, one final halo hung over them, lightning arcing within and to ready to fire.

An electric attack couldn't hurt Flygon, but the same could not be said for Harley and Drew if they were on him. Flygon spun, tossing Harley and Drew as far away from himself as he could. The column of lightning descended, enveloping him in brilliance that painted Harley's vision purple. The blast of sound sent Harley and Drew's bodies tumbling through the air before they hit the pools of mud that broke their fall.

Harley's head lifted weakly off the muddy ground, coughing and clearing his nose while rubbing the mud out of his eyes, which proved to be counterproductive. He expected Flygon to have endured the attack; he was a ground type so there was no way that a lightning attack could affect him let alone kill him…right?

He was fixated upon the incandescent column of lightning, expecting Flygon to fly out unharmed. But instead what he saw when the lightning column dissipated was a shimmering pillar of superheated air. In the middle of the scorching pillar, a body – scorched beyond recognition – plunged to the ground.

The charred remains of what had once been Flygon hit the earth in the same instant that Blaziken did. May and Whitney wriggled out from underneath his exhausted and unconscious form. Clefable and Miltank silently stood beside them, scanning the area for any sign of attack.

May returned Blaziken to his Poké ball and joined Whitney's Pokémon in their survey of the surroundings. Harley and Drew fell within her range of vision as she turned her head; she burst into a sprint and ran towards them while Whitney stayed behind.

Whitney sat on the muddy ground and watched the raging forest fire they had barely escaped. She paid no heed to Miltank (Clefable escorted May as she ran towards Harley and Drew) beside her. All she could see were her uncle's death and the siege and subsequent destruction of her ranch, over and over. Her dead eyes betrayed nothing; nothing but the reflection of Goldenrod City's funeral pyre.

* * *

**As I've said before, anyone in this series can die.**

**Next, Chapter 5: If You Go Out In the Woods Today...**


	5. If You Go Down In the Woods Today

**Well after forcing myself to fight through four cases of writer's block, learning about the death of one of my relatives, and going through a semester of College, I finally bring to you another chapter. I'm honestly sorry for taking so long. It seems as though this arc has once again managed to become more favorable in my eyes when compared to the Subsistence, don't know about you. If anything, I may consider redoing the Subsistence as well in the far far future. What do you think? Anyway, do to being gone for more than two months, I made this one rather long, hope you don't mind. I put a lot of heart into this, and thanks to Jakayrta's help this chapter feels a lot more polished. **

**

* * *

August 19**

Harley awoke with a start, his eyes quickly scanning along the walls of the cave. Dancing shadows were wrought upon the stone. The bonfire he and his companions were sleeping before now flickering weakly. A thousand questions assailed him for every second his eyes remained fixated on the dim amber glow that painted the stony walls.

_Where was he? Why was he here? And more importantly, what had happened?_

As if on command, the memories and the answers he sought surged forth like a great wave from the depths of his mind.

* * *

**August 19, a few hours earlier…**

Harley ran. Ran until he threw up and then ran even harder and faster. He no longer remembered how many times he had fallen, crawled along the floor and gotten to his feet. Drew's arms hung limply over his shoulders, flailing with every step he took. Every step caused his lungs and muscles to burn but he dared not stop.

Drew eventually awoke and ran with the rest; holding his questions until much later.

There were no words spoken save for weary encouragements to keep moving whenever one of them had fallen too far behind. Whitney, as Harley soon learned her name, was no more than a doll now. Any and all words seemed wasted on her, as she showed no signs of ever acknowledging them. The only hints of her humanity were in her shallow breaths and her sweaty face.

Instinct had taken over, giving their bodies the strength to move with one purpose in mind: survival. There was space for one thought: survive.

For seemingly the entire day, the group traded food, water and even sleep for sheer distance. Every cell in their bodies screamed for rest and yet their brains urged them to put as much distance between themselves and the ruins of Goldenrod as fast as possible. No amount of miles seemed to sate their fears. Every bob of a leaf caught their attention, evoking fears of grisly death.

It had been when May was leading the way and suddenly collapsed; Harley had watched her arms tense up for an instant before slowly slackening and going still. Expecting the worse, he knelt down beside her. His worry lessened somewhat he noticed the small of her back rising and falling with every shallow breath.

Drew and Whitney stumbled behind him, the former reacting to the sight immediately and rushing over, the latter rooted to where she stood, staring blankly at the scene. Drew's hands cautiously hovered over her body, afraid to touch her lest he hurt her more. May slowly turned her head towards them, dragging her chin along the wet dirt.

Drew and May's eyes met and he knew from the look in her eyes that she was done, she could move no further. She was now staring past him, her eyes beginning to widen. Drew rapidly swung his entire body around, the sudden movement making Harley recoil. What awaited him at the end of his gaze invoked a basic instinct inside him, inside all of them: fear.

Ink was too pale in comparison to the utter blackness of the abyss that faced them. The dark void from the gaping maw ushered forth an eerie, empty echo. Jagged stalagmites and stalactites adorned the cave's entrance, making it look like the fanged maw of some great beast.

After a long debate on what to do, they finally decided to use the cave as a temporary shelter. Harley had summoned Octillery, telling him to use Flamethrower at the mouth of the cave. A massive column of orange fire surged forth into the cave, dispelling the inky blackness. The heat was so intense it forced everyone near Octillery to step back a few paces. After a few minutes, Harley ordered Octillery to stop, certain that anything in the cave had either been roasted, suffocated or driven away. Just to be sure, he then sent Ariados and Banette in to search the caves. The latter used Will-O-Wisp to light their way while the former used a silk line he had placed at the foot of the cave as an escape rope if they had found nothing and got lost.

After what seemed like hours, Banette and Ariados returned and gave the all clear. The gaping maw of the earth had morphed into a sanctuary – for now.

Cacturne used Spikes, lacing the surrounding grass with deadly emerald needles as Banette left to scavenge for food. Everyone else darted into the cave as Ariados partially sealed the cave's entrance with a web strong enough to stop a charging Steelix in its tracks

Wigglytuff went to scout the area and would return in half an hour, any later and they could expect the worse.

The growling of the refugees' stomachs echoed through the cave.

"Any minute now," Harley muttered as he waited for Banette to return with food. He tried hard to ignore the exhaustion, hunger and thirst that were threatening to overwhelm him.

* * *

**August 19, present time…**

The minutes had gradually slid into hours and there was still no sign of Banette's return. Harley tried to convince himself that his cute little Banette was strong and fully capable of handling himself. As if to toy with his emotions, his eyes drifted over to Drew, slumped against the wall of the cave.

Capable. The word seemed to mock him. Were Flygon or Absol capable? Surely, Skitty, Butterfree and all Solidad's Pokemon were capable?

Harley's gaze turned almost mechanically towards the distant mouth of the cave, now blackened from the flames. Drew was the closest to the entrance of the cave and remained there despite May's constant pleas to stay a safe distance from the mouth of the cave. Drew was adamant, ignoring her no matter how much she implored. Harley lacked the heart or the strength to pull Drew back or fight him if he struggled.

Drew's posture said it all. The way he leaned expectantly towards the entrance, tilting his head with a weary stare that still flickered with hope. Although he had not voiced it, Harley felt that Drew was still in disbelief about Flygon's death. Drew knew all too well that they had no reason to lie to him about something like that, but something inside him couldn't quite grasp it.

In the years that they had been around Pokémon, they had learned certain truths. Protect could block almost every attack. Ground types were unaffected by electric moves. And most saliently, Pokémon attacks could not kill and maim. And now, it was as if the familiar and safe world they knew so well had been yanked out from under their feet and torn to shreds before their eyes as they fell into the abyss of this new world. The things they saw; the friends they lost. They would all have to accept and come to terms with these new developments.

_Some of us have more to come to terms with_. Harley thought as he glanced at Whitney.

Harley watched Clefable trying to get Whitney to eat the single pecha berry they found. He sighed and averted his gaze; he had seen the same routine for the past several hours and found it just as painful to watch as he did the first time. Whitney simply stared back at her Pokémon and blinked. Her cold, dead stare made Harley wonder whether or not to add her name to the list of casualties in Goldenrod City.

Whitney was alive but her spirit and personality seemed to have fallen with Goldenrod City. The person – no, _simulacrum_ – that was traveling with them, obediently following their orders without question or complaint and speaking next to nothing, was in Harley's eyes, a husk. Harley turned his eyes to Clefable as she tried once more to get Whitney to eat. Clefable herself had eaten nothing in all the time they had traveled, refusing to eat the berry for herself.

Part of Harley wanted to yell at Clefable and tell her it was hopeless but the other part of him refused to accept that. He could sympathize with Clefable, not wanting to watch as this girl let herself give up on life and waste away. For what seemed like the umpteenth time, Clefable sat back down to try again after another few minutes, feeling utterly useless.

It was only by Clefable's abilities that they made it as far as they did. She had repeatedly used Wish, healing any wounds they had gotten, like his shoulder, and temporarily boosting their strength, until she had depleted her strength to do it anymore. Harley glanced at the scar that Clefable's healing move seemed unable to heal before he turned to the furthest end of the cave; a crimson figure lay before another bonfire.

* * *

Blaziken opened his eyes, staring into the dying embers of the bonfire that he had made. He spat another ember into the flames, breathing life into it once more. His eyes traveled to the tiny ring of clothes around the campfire, most of which belonged to May.

He glanced down at his master and closed his eyes, allowing himself a sigh of relief. She had finally stopped shivering and was now nuzzling into his warm scarlet feathers. Blaziken embraced her more tightly, the action proving to be more painful than he had expected. His entire body was still sore from the battle; every breath he took came accompanied with a sharp spike of pain.

The battle and his run had left him utterly drained and immobile until he could recuperate, making him feel utterly worthless. If there was any solace he could find in the pathetic state he was in, it was that he could still be of some use to May and the others without moving. He had helped start the fires to help dry their clothes and used his body heat to warm up May.

Blaziken looked down at May, comparatively so much smaller than him when pressed so closely to him. He smiled as he thought back to how the roles had changed from when he was a Torchic. In stark contrast to the strength that she had in her heart, her body was truly fragile by Pokémon standards. Were he to have the strength to flex his arms he could easily snap May's neck. The very thought of that raw power scared him.

He now had to be extra careful with his movements, aware that a weak attack from him could deal a mortal blow to a human now. Behind his body's mask of fatigue was a strength that still flowed through every atom of his body.

That raw strength was blessing and a curse. The increased strength and endurance, faster reaction times and reflexes helped him survive the battle at the ranch. Yet, that same power could accidentally kill May or any of the other Pokémon he considered friends.

* * *

Ariados surveyed his handiwork from atop the entrance of the cave where the others resided. On top of an entire field of emerald spikes – courtesy of Cacturne – he had created a labyrinth of webs that wound its way through the forest. Should anything be caught in it, he would be alerted immediately. Every web he made had a single strand that converged into a large "super strand" that was placed above the cave entrance where he was perched.

All that was left to do was wait; a task that his species was quite adept at doing. Seconds turned into minutes; minutes turned into hours with not a single twitch of his webs. He scanned the area once more with no signs of Wigglytuff or Banette. He tried not to think the worst when thoughts of their absence came to mind, although that was easier said than done.

Then again, nothing had been caught in his web; in a sense it meant that Wigglytuff, Banette, and the others were safe. Yet, it meant that there would be nothing to catch for them to eat. The very thought brought back the gnawing hunger inside of him. Slivers of drool began to pool from his mouth before he shook his head and banished the thought.

Ariados quickly chastised himself. He swore never to give into his cravings. He felt different from before but not all of the changes were good. His senses, speed, and strength had all been enhanced but at a cost: he could not so much as look at Harley and the others without the thoughts of lunging at them and feeding upon them creeping into his head.

He felt betrayed by his own instincts, a new set of desires alien to his own. The urge to feed upon Harley and the others was strong but the very thought of killing them horrified him to no end. Despite his efforts, his thirst for blood kept surfacing; the only way he could think of sating it was to find a non-human substitute. The idea of passing up sweeter meat did not appeal to him.

Ariados visibly winced with the crack of his mental whip; he reprimanded himself for desiring "sweeter meat". He wondered why he felt so drawn to hunt humans, never having tasted them before, nor consciously planning to.

_They'd be safer without me…but they might need me, so would they really be any safer? I can't even trust myself to not turn on them, would it be better to die in a fight before I lose myself to this maddening hunger? I don't wanna die…_

The light pitter-patter of rain derailed his thoughts; much to his relief, when a silken strand went taut and vibrated. Ariados burst forward, unable to contain himself any longer. No longer did his thoughts dwell on capturing whatever morsel had fallen prey to his trap and giving it to his master and the others. No, he would have it for himself. It was only right, he made the trap and he should have the first bite. Once he had his fill, they would be safe; safe from him.

Within seconds, Ariados traced the source of the vibration to one of his webs. His ravenous hunger overrode his thinking as he scurried along the silken line. When he arrived at the source, his hunger was quickly replaced by disappointment.

The source of the vibrations was Banette. Giggling manically, he floated before one of Ariados's webs.

"Expecting someone else?" he cackled.

"Yes…a meal...for the others," Ariados replied. He cast his eyes towards the ground before shifting his gaze to a succulent blue oran berry, suspended several feet off the ground.

"How did you-" Ariados began. The words died on his mandibles as he laid eyes on his webs. Water droplets dangled from the thin strands of his webs and shone with what little light filtered through the grey sea of clouds and leaves.

* * *

Harley tried to relish every second of warmth from his dried clothes, knowing full well that the warmth would be evanescent. May had finally recovered enough strength to move about once again, letting Blaziken rest. She tended to the fire whenever she felt it had weakened, casually tossing a leaf or twig she had found to feed the flame. May had tried to talk to Whitney, her efforts quickly proving futile.

The sudden rain was deafening in the silence of the cavernous and echoing walls of the cave. Everyone flinched at the sound, including Whitney. Memories of death and destruction came with every droplet of rain that impacted the earth, a reflex that would haunt them for years to come. Luckily, the shower was short lived and died within a few minutes.

Harley took notice of Drew's sudden shift in position and in turn glanced to the mouth of the cave. To his relief, Banette floated over to them, snickering as he hovered over the field of needles. Harley could see that his arms were burdened with as many berries and mushrooms as he could carry. Banette stopped before the web that barred him from entering, Ariados's arms peeking out from above the mouth of the cave. Ariados, the only one there unable to be caught in the web, pulled at two silken strands, opening a small gap that allowed Banette to squeeze through.

He deposited his haul near a fire, backing away as the others approached. Harley's body moved of its own accord at the sight of food. Even Whitney was drawn towards the food. There were several oran, sitrus, rawst, leppa, and pecha berries, along with a few mushrooms of various sizes and colors.

Harley's eyes shifted back and forth between the others, who were now making a small ring around the pile. No one reached for the food, their hands twitching in anticipation as everyone eyed each other. Tension saturated the room, like the rain that had saturated the soil. Part of Harley was surprised to find the desperate looks in May and Drew's eyes, another part of him expected it.

Fear barred their hands from reaching over and plucking a berry in front of the others. The pain of moving was not enough to keep them from the food; despite being so close to sustenance, they could only stare. Their stomachs practically snarled at each other, the dull ache of hunger becoming too painful to ignore.

Banette's smiles and laughter died with the change in atmosphere. He watched from a distance as the atmosphere grew darker and more suffocating. He was worried that the situation would turn violent and about what he would need to do if it did. All of the humans were hunched over, no longer focusing on the food, but on each other.

The minute twitch of their fingers, their eyes rapidly shifting focus, the subtle lean towards one another. Banette had seen these signs before in the wild when two desperate Pokémon were about to claw out other's throats over something. He feared that the trainers had become as feral as Pokémon they were fleeing from. He was going to intervene when Drew finally broke the silence.

"Let's…divide the berries up for now…and for later…I don't know about the mushrooms," Drew said. His voice seemed strained, as if he were trying to fight something within him.

The tension dissipated instantly; Banette watched as everyone relaxed. Harley eyed the mushrooms, turning them over and inspecting them for a few moments.

"I think we can eat some of these mushrooms, all we need to do is cook them," Harley replied, reaching for a poké ball.

"How do you know that?" May asked. The flash of light from Harley's poké ball caused everyone to flinch.

"Baking isn't the only thing I'm good at. I can cook a little as well, and I've used some of these mushrooms for meals."

Harley's Cacturne stood beside him, silently awaiting his next orders.

Harley's hands flitted over the mushrooms. He noticed that they were the type of mushrooms that he could sell for quite a bit of cash – that is if there was anyone left to buy them or if money had any value anymore. He grabbed a handful of them and tossed them into the air. As if by an unspoken command, emerald needles shot out of Cacturne's body, each one skewered a mushroom with uncanny precision.

"Thanks buddy," Harley said as he reached over and plucked the makeshift shish kabobs, handing them over to May and the others. Cacturne nodded curtly at his trainer's thanks.

Harley handed the kebab to Whitney, who made no attempt to grab it, forcing him to physically place it in her hands. Whitney managed to keep a firm grip on the skewer but that was all she did; she made no attempt to cook it or anything. Harley held his own meal over the flames, turning it slowly so it would cook on all sides. The others followed suit, letting the crackling flames take the place of conversation, or lack thereof.

What was there to say? What could they talk about aside from the very thing that seemed to encompass their every thought? No one knew more than the other with regards to everything that had happened in the last few days. What good would inviting back those terrible memories do?

They had all done their share of crying as they ran. They quickly learned to instantly banish any thoughts that could lead them to start crying again. Against his better judgment, Drew let his thoughts drift back to when they had told him of Solidad and her…passing.

The image was painfully vivid in his memory; were he to paint the scene, he was confident he could perfectly place every tree, stone, and leaf. Harley did his best to remain stone-faced but his wet cheeks and reddened eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

The words echoed in his mind for several seconds, Drew knew the word well, but its impact was more than he had expected. Try as he might, his mind either refused or could not comprehend the concept, the magnitude of what Harley's words were, what they meant.

* * *

**August 19, a few hours earlier…**

Drew had poked and prodded for Harley to answer him. Now that he had attained the answer that he wanted, he was not sure whether he wanted to know anymore. Ignorance seemed like divine blessing. He tried to speak, only to realize he had forgotten how to use words. The forest around him felt surreal; the scorched foliage and ground slowly melding together and morphing into a hazy dreamscape.

Drew felt his pace slow. The gap between him and the others started to widen. His muscles felt like they were made of lead and his will to continue running had fallen like the Goldenrod City. He slowed to a stop; what happened after was a blur until May had collapsed.

Drew sifted through the banks of his memories, desperately searching for an image of her face, the sound of her voice, and what subtle mannerisms he'd remembered of her. Once he found them he held on tightly like something tangible and precious, replaying them over and over again as if to commit them and eventually carve them into his memory.

But the memories he had, no matter how sharp and vivid, were a pale imitation of the real thing. Nothing he could imagine could compare to the real So; nothing would be able to replace that hole; that void.

He could recall a vague memory of Harley coming back for him, dragging though the woods by his arm as he was told that she had probably died instantly, sparing her any pain; a pitiful attempt at comforting him.

Harley's tone of voice hinted that Solidad's passing pained him as well. Solidad had commented before that she was old friends with Harley; her words had now come to life. Tears and mucus streamed down Harley's face; it was a wonder he could see where he was going. Harley's free hand clutched the area of his shirt where his heart would've been, ignoring the pain from the wound in his shoulder. The pain was something Drew knew all too well. An emotional pain so strong it had manifested into something physical.

Drew knew nothing of what their previous relationship was like, how many years their bond of friendship had accumulated. In the time that he had known them, he never saw them speak directly. Regardless of how much he cared for his rival, Drew could see that his own pain was nothing compared to Harley's pain.

* * *

**August 19, present time**

Drew's eyes were beginning to swim as his brain replayed the memories of the previous hours. Forcing his mind back to the present, he focused on his mushroom, now slightly burnt on one end. His gaze drifted onto May, staring apprehensively at her mushroom. Her sights then shifted to Harley and subjected him to a questioning glance. Harley didn't seem to notice and popped the cooked mushroom into his mouth and chewed. His gesture was both a sign of goodwill that he was not trying to get them all killed and an assurance that the mushrooms were edible.

May nervously bit her mushroom; her worries not entirely abated. Drew glanced at his half-burnt mushroom, his mouth beginning to water. Had the world not gone to hell and had it been any other day in any other place, he would have tossed the burnt mushroom aside. Now the very thought bordered on insanity.

Drew chewed slowly and savored the bitter, meaty flavor of the burnt mushroom. Even though he did not particularly like mushrooms; his hunger seasoned his measly meal with amazing flavors that a gourmand would kill for.

"So…what happens now?" May asked, breaking the chain of silence. Her question had been innocent enough, but Harley and Drew stared at her while Whitney's dead gaze reflected the dancing embers.

After several seconds of dead silence, May spoke. "I…wanna know if my family is okay. I think we should try and find the next town; we might be able to talk to our families from the Pokémon center there. I'm pretty sure you all want to talk to your fa-" she quickly stopped herself as her gaze passed over Drew and Harley and fixated on Whitney.

Harley and Drew understood and winced at what would be known as the "F" word. Whitney showed no signs of reacting to the word, but it would remain a sensitive topic when she was around.

Harley and Drew understood May's desire; their own not so different from hers. Yet, with that desire came complications.

"We don't know what's out there, we don't even know if what happened in Gol…there…happened to the rest of the Pokémon or to other towns and cities," Drew replied calmly, making a mental note to add "Goldenrod" to their growing list of taboo words around Whitney.

"What do you suggest we do then? We can't just sit here! Whatever's out there can't possibly be worse than…y-you know."

May made a hesitant glance towards Whitney, who once again proved to have not taken notice that they were even speaking.

"We can have the Pokémon who aren't entirely exhausted from the fight to defend us and we can switch them out at regular intervals. Besides, we have to leave to find more food and water," Drew countered.

Harley couldn't argue with Drew's logic; a single glance at the measly pile of berries and mushrooms they had acquired drove the point home. Staying here any longer than they needed to would only hurt them. Harley turned his sights to the wilderness outside the confines of the cave. A wilderness that held equal promise of death and aid.

Solidad's final words echoed through his mind. Despite his past with May and Drew, he was willing to forgive and forget to follow through with her last wish, lest he be damned. Holding onto those past vendettas would get them nowhere here. Out of the entire group, he had the most Pokémon, all of whom were in fighting form and could cover until the other Pokémon were strong enough to take over. Who better than him than to ensure their protection?

Harley nodded to them, letting them know that his Pokémon would take over the first shift. Within a few minutes, Wigglytuff returned from her reconnaissance of the area, giving the okay to leave. Harley divided the remaining mushrooms and berries amongst themselves and the Pokémon.

Utilizing their knowledge of the berries and their medicinal properties, Harley and Drew were able to give Clefable and Blaziken some of their strength back. Blaziken was nowhere near his full glory, but he would be able to stand and run for the most part and Clefable would be able to use her healing moves a few more times.

Whitney put up no resistance, doing as she was told without a single word. Seeing as she had known the region better than they did, they asked her where the next town would be. It took a bit of coaxing, but she pointed in a general direction, standing up and heading out of the cave.

Ariados undid the web around the mouth of the cave while Cacturne walked through his own field of needles, reabsorbing the spikes back into his body with every step. Banette took up the rear while Wigglytuff took to the skies.

Cacturne continued to lead the way as Ariados followed them him from the cover of the trees. All the while, Whitney insisted on leading the way behind Cacturne, Harley and May behind her, while Drew was left to contend with the endless stream of cackles from Banette at the rear.

Clefable and Miltank had been returned to their poké balls, Whitney walked briskly with only a few turns in the path. Harley doubted whether she really knew the location to the next town, but neither of them were better off and would have to trust a local. At the pace she moved, they wondered where her endurance had come from, finding it harder to keep up with her as the hours ticked by.

She gave no mention as to whether they were getting closer to the town or not. Drew wondered whether she would even notice if they stopped following her.

* * *

Sapphire pools scanned the forest, jumping from tree to tree in search of food, water or another shelter. Their trek through the woods had gone on for several hours without a single instance of danger. May was grateful but the silence did nothing to sooth her nerves. She constantly had to remind herself that she was safe in the presence of Harley's Pokémon.

Having Harley's entire party at their disposal was a blessing. But she could not quite shake the awkward feeling she had around him. The man – dressed in a stained and tattered black undershirt and Cacturne patterned pants – before her had repeatedly sabotaged her contests. And he went to extraordinary lengths to do so. Faint anger rose up as she recalled a contest in Purika City where Harley had clandestinely recorded an embarrassing story that her brother had told him and then played it over the PA system during her match against him. Even though it happened over a year ago and she won; she was still upset at him for using such dirty tactics.

And now, that same conniving, selfish man was making every effort to keep them out of harms' way. She found it hard to believe that he had so easily cast off his previous vendettas against her and underwent such a drastic personality change. Or maybe his personality had not changed? Was he using them just so to increase his own chances of survival? Would he abandon them as soon as he found what he wanted in the next town? Nothing could be done about it now, all she could do was wait and see how things played out.

* * *

Ariados found the limits of his sanity being tested, wondering why he had refused the mushroom despite the fact that it tasted like dirt to him.

_At least it would've taken up space in my stomach_. Ariados thought bitterly. His mandibles twitched as he swallowed for what seemed like the umpteenth time. How would Harley react if he knew what the feral part of him wanted? How would the others react if he suddenly attacked them? He knew in his heart he would never be able to live with himself if he acted out on his impulses

* * *

As they continued to march, May began to notice a pattern in her search for threats and food. Several trees were bent at odd angles; others bore deep slashes upon their bark, while a few were entirely untouched. A few of the gashes looked the same, some vertical, some horizontal, others jagged strokes. The more May studied each slash, the more she began to worry about what had made the slashes.

May could not tell whether the slashes were old or new, but from what she could see, the wounds in the bark were deep. The gashes did not travel past a few feet off the ground and just beneath each mark was a section of the tree where the bark was sunken in as if it had been struck with great force by someone…or something.

Her eyes traveled up the length of the tree, vibrant specks of red peeked from the sea of green leaves and blue sky. She squinted and stopped suddenly, gaining the attention of the others.

"May, what is it?" Drew asked.

"Up there, I think I see berries!" she replied.

Harley, Whitney, and Drew walked over to her, peering over to the direction of her finger. Whitney made her way towards one of the trees without a word. She glanced upwards and kicked the tree as hard as possible. The tree trembled slightly but a few of the tiny red berries plummeted to the ground.

Whitney went over and plucked the berries off the ground, pointing silently to the other trees in the vicinity. May, Harley, and Drew nodded, going straight to work harvesting the berries as Ariados and Banette circled the perimeter. Harley let out a sigh of relief. They had not been attacked by wild Pokémon; let alone saw any. And now with the appearance of food, things finally seemed to be looking up for them.

And yet, when Harley thought about it, he found himself more worried that they had not seen a single Pokémon. They had no way of knowing if what happened back in Goldenrod had happened in other regions or worse, the whole planet. Harley doubted that, but the nightmarish possibility still plagued his thoughts.

Nothing would have given Harley more relief than to find a "normal" wild Pokémon, which would allay his fears for the most part. But then, what would happen to them afterwards? With their Pokémon and their new lethality, they could never participate in contests again – at least not without the constant threat of it becoming a massacre. Would their lethality be temporary? Harley really hoped so.

May walked over to one of the trees, kicking it as hard as she could before gazing up. To her dismay there were no berries on the tree. Feeling like she had wasted her strength on the kick she gave it, May sulked off. She turned to watch Harley kick the tree before him, knocking off a few berries with relative ease. May looked back at her tree and then back at Harley's tree. She noticed that her tree bore no scars on its bark.

As she looked around, May realized that the only trees that carried berries were marked with slashes.

Banette and Ariados finished their rounds and returned to Cacturne, currently glancing up at Wigglytuff.

"How's it looking up there?" Cacturne asked disinterestedly. He then noticed that she appeared nervous, spinning rapidly in place.

"This is bad! We're gonna be surrounded in a minute! We have to get out of here right n-" Wigglytuff never finished her sentence as a dozen orange streams of light converged upon her and erased her from existence. It was over in an instant, no warning, no dramatic death. She was simply there one second and gone the next.

The aftermath of the converging blasts resulted in a thunderous explosion that knocked everyone to the floor. Within seconds, the dust settled. Harley staggered onto his feet with his ears still ringing. All the trees around them had blown away from the epicenter of the explosion. The berries they harvested or on the trees were now scattered across the ground.

Drew moved over to help May and Whitney up. Harley's party was already on their feet and on high alert. Cacturne aimed his arms at the clouds of dust that now encircled them; Ariados was at a loss, seeing as the trees, now toppled, had been his only cover. Banette soared into the skies, taking Wigglytuff's old position.

Another Hyper Beam tore through the forest, the blast tearing a distant cloud behind Banette asunder. The sound of laughter emanated from within the orange stream of energy, and as the last of the beam passed, Banette remained with his finger pointed and cackling manically.

Banette turned as another Hyper Beam passed right through him, launching another Torment attack at its source. Confidence in his invincibility to normal-type attacks was short lived when two Hyper Beams collided behind him. The resulting explosion sent Banette hurtling to the ground. Even though he was unaffected by the direct attacks, secondary effects like explosions could still affect him. Banette lifted himself off the ground with a grimace, spitting the dirt out of his zipper mouth and scowling at the shifting shadows that darted from tree to tree.

Whitney trembled silently. Harley grabbed May and almost instinctively pulled her behind. Drew began to back away, counting each figure that emerged from the woods, and stopping once the count passed thirty.

Their yellow rings seemed to glow when it caught the slightest hint of light. Each of them advanced silently and casually as one; the silence only broken by the snapping of branches and twigs and the heavy breathing of the coordinators.

Bulging muscles shifted beneath their brown fur with every movement. The gravel crunched with each step, occasionally accompanied by the snap of a twig or branch. The crescendo of snaps and thumps bombarded them from all around only to be drowned out by the raging heartbeat that now felt like it was between each coordinator's ears. Harley recognized the Pokémon that now flanked them from both sides: Ursaring.

The air suddenly became heavy, as if gravity has suddenly intensified under the weight of every Ursarings' stare. Seconds ticked by without event, and in that brief silence, May couldn't help but shiver as she stared back into each pair of eyes.

Their serious expressions were all the same: a deep, penetrating stare. The Ursaring simply stood and stared at each coordinator, not as prey, but as something else entirely. Their eyes held not hatred or hunger but disapproval of their very presence, their very existence. In silent unison the Ursaring opened their mouths, each revealing rows of serrated teeth and a single orange glowing orb.

May suddenly felt herself reeled back through the air, watching the multiple Hyper Beams surge through the forest behind them like freight trains, carving deep, molten trenches into the earth. Banette darted past them, but was nonetheless caught by the force of the resulting explosion.

Cacturne's emerald blades cut the silver strands that had latched onto their backs, courtesy of Ariados, as they passed him. The explosion sent everyone, except Cacturne, spinning head over heels for Cacturne had anchored himself to the ground with several sage spikes that protruded from his back and into the earth behind him.

Harley tumbled across the ground, quickly rolled onto his feet, and burst into a sprint in one fluid motion. Instinct now held the reins of control over his body, survival momentarily encompassing every thought and desire. He had only made it a few yards before he noticed that no one was ahead or beside him. Solidad's final wish echoed through his thoughts, the sudden end to his sprint caused him to stumble forward as he risked a glance over his shoulder.

The others had not caught up with him or even gotten off the ground to run. Cacturne's figure suddenly stood out to him. The scarecrow Pokémon's arms were aimed at the heavens above, the Ursarings' movements thundered beyond the veil of dust and dirt. Rushing whispers reached Harley's ears as a river of tiny needles erupted from each of Cacturne's arms. Drew could've sworn he was hearing the pattering of rain as Cacturne fired volley after volley of viridian darts. He turned around to find a column of emerald streaks soaring into the sky and arcing back to earth beyond the veil of dust and dirt. Suddenly, it seemed like a blizzard had covered the path as Cacturne used Cotton Spore. Clouds of white dust streamed from the holes that made up his mouth, slowing down anything they touched.

The Ursaring grunted in pain and annoyance, slowly swiping at the air as the coat of needles on their bodies grew. Only a few died beneath the downpour of spikes, and those that endured it roared in agony as the emerald needles in the ground skewered their feet with every step. The surrounding trees and leaves had been shredded beneath the attack. When the spiky downpour stopped, it revealed an open clearing filled with gleaming spikes and mounds of mulch along with several Ursaring standing over their dead brethren.

Cacturne flinched as one Hyper Beam missed him by only a few inches. The pain, anger, and wounds had culminated into a single emotion: rage. The Ursaring fired blindly either out of sheer rage or loss of sight from Cacturne's needles.

To enter their forest, their territory, was a hefty transgression. To take the berries from their trees, trees marked by them as their property, was one of the ultimate offenses. The punishment: death. Allowing them to leave was no longer an option, especially after being attacked.

Cacturne lowered his glowing arms, aiming at the shaggy and slowly limping figures and firing his next attack. The recoil of each spike he launched shook the ground around him; were it not for the viridian anchor spikes behind him, the force of each shot would've sent him flying. Harley watched in awe as jade lances shot from his arms and struck their targets with the unerring accuracy of champion sharpshooter. Unlike the previous barrage of Cacturne's darts, the Ursaring would really feel this attack as each spike was as long as Cacturne's arm and almost as thick.

One Ursaring shuddered, gazing down to find a green lance embedded in the dead center of the golden ring on its belly, the other end of the spike protruding through its spine. Its shaking paws wrapped around the spike only to have its body suddenly spin from the force of another lance skewering through its left shoulder.

Another Ursaring was about to fire a Hyper Beam when Cacturne's emerald spear hissed through the air and pierced its groin. Bent over by the impact and the pain, the Ursaring unleashed the blast into the ground at its feet. The explosion sent its nearby brethren through the air and onto the carpet of spikes.

Cacturne switched his attention to several other Ursaring preparing another salvo of Hyper Beams. One suddenly found it difficult to swallow with the meter-long needle transecting its throat and spine. The eyesight of the second became instantly dark as Cacturne's lance went through its right eye and lodged itself in its occipital lobe. Each spike was laced with poison, so if they survived the trauma the javelins inflicted, the poison would kill them within a few seconds.

Harley proudly watched as his Cacturne systematically took out the Ursaring with what he could only imagine as being a new and improved version of Pin Missile. Cacturne's arm movements were minimal, only a few centimeters in any direction. Each shot pushed him back a few inches, the thorns that anchored him from behind carved the soil.

Harley's moment of pride was cut short when a single Hyper Beam escaped Cacturne's notice, missing him by only a few inches. Instantly grabbing his poké ball, Harley aimed it at Cacturne and watched the thin beam of red light connect with his Pokémon. To his dismay, Cacturne did not return to his poké ball.

Harley ran into full sprint towards his Cacturne, he had already lost Wigglytuff and he refused to let another one of his darlings die. He had not made it more than two meters when Banette tackled him, lifting him off the ground and away from the battle. Harley felt the wind knocked out of him from Banette's tackle, watching as Cacturne became more and more distant. Banette frowned at the very idea of leaving Cacturne behind, but his orders had been clear:

"Take Harley and the others and run! I'll hold them off as long as I can, I'll try and regroup with you but…no promises."

* * *

Cacturne did his best to remain calm as the Ursaring began to close in on him. Despite the amount he had taken out, he had hardly put a dent in their numbers and only succeeded in angering them further. It seemed as though for each one he killed, three more took its place. He dared not turn back; doing so would let one of them get the jump on him.

One particular Ursaring drew too close for Cacturne's liking, fist raised in the air in preparation for a Hammer Arm. The Ursaring suddenly howled in pain, staring at the emerald needle that had stabbed through its elbow, locking the arm in place. The pain was short-lived, the impact of another Pin Missile javelin through its heart knocking it on its back. Cacturne turned his body quickly; swinging his arms to greet another Ursaring approaching him from the right, already cradling a glowing orange orb in its mouth.

* * *

Banette set Harley onto his feet, glancing at his master's awestruck expression for an instant before giving into his curiosity and turning around to find an orange river of energy bisecting the sky.

* * *

Cacturne's needle rose from the Ursaring's foot, effectively pinning it to the earth. The pain had caused the Ursaring to lift its head and yell to the sky, redirecting the blast. Its head had not even lowered back down before Cacturne shot another emerald spear beneath the Ursaring's jaw, resulting in a green horn now adorning the top of its skull.

A shadow descended on Cacturne from the left, the Ursaring's claws only inches away from Cacturne's head. Dozens of jade spines glistened in what little sunlight reached them; each coated in the blood of the perforated Ursaring desperately struggling to hold onto what little life they had left. Cacturne could not help but admit that his newest victim was nothing if not adamant, his face basking in the amber glow of another Hyper Beam charging at point blank range. The other Ursaring watched as another spine jutted out from Cacturne's body, through the Ursaring's mouth, and past the cerebellum.

Banette watched from a distance as an Ursaring charged at Cacturne, only to collide with Cacturne's last victim, spines and all. He winced as he watched the two Ursaring slam into a nearby tree, crucified by Cacturne's volley of emerald javelins.

"How far away are they?" Cacturne asked, making no attempt to glance in Banette's direction.

Banette turned and peered into the distance, trying to think up a rough estimate of how far they were before answering.

"I…I don't know…I'd say about…maybe about…thirty meters?" Banette replied sheepishly with a smile after doing several double takes.

_I don't wanna risk Banette being wrong and that they're actually closer,_ s_o I won't be able to use __**that**__ if they're that close. Guess that just leaves me to use plan B_. Cacturne thought, watching as another Ursaring broke the ranks of the others and charged at him at full speed. Cacturne frowned, seeing now that the Cotton Spore he had used to slow them down had finally worn off.

Banette made no attempt to intercept the Ursaring heading for Cacturne, expecting that in any moment Cacturne would take him out. His eyes widened as he watched the event proceed without interruption, Cacturne bent over with his fist pressed against the earth. His golden irises were hidden behind viridian lids, his expression was one of deep concentration, blocking out everything but the task at hand, including the shadow and figure that loomed over him, the massive paw and claws that swung at him.

It was only when Banette wanted to fly out to help Cacturne that it was already too late. The scar stretched from Cacturne's left temple, past his left eye, and over the holes that made up his mouth. Sand sprayed and drizzled from the wound on Cacturne's face; the eons had made the blood of his species one with the desert.

Cacturne glanced up at the Ursaring, already preparing to land another blow. Banette watched Cacturne's wound glow green and vanish. The earth began to tremble beneath the Ursarings' feet. He allowed himself a smile, "My roots made it pretty far," he said with a smirk – or an imitation of it, given that his mouth was a series of holes.

Banette flew from his wooden perch, landing behind Cacturne as an emerald forest of blades shot from the soft earth, impaling every Ursaring in its path. Like an impending wave of death it rushed through the throngs of Ursaring, their efforts to flee proving futile.

The aftermath both disturbed and amazed Banette; a green sea of swords, painted red by the blood of the Ursaring, towered over them by several meters. Like morbid flags, the Ursaring hung limply from the towering spires for all to see. In the way they were displayed, Banette could not help but feel like they were warnings; warnings of what would happen should the chase continue.

As quickly as they came, the blades retracted back beneath the earth, the mutilated corpses that were once suspended now plummeted and hit the ground with a heavy _crunch_-_splat_. Banette glanced down the length of Cacturne's legs; at the base of his feet were roots that had spread deep into the earth, visible once every few seconds when they glowed.

Cacturne had been rooted to the spot where he had used Ingrain, letting his roots spread beneath the section of forest before them to unleash the field of blades once he was sure enough Ursaring had entered his trap. The move had left Cacturne drained of most of his strength, panting as he cut through his own roots.

No sooner had Cacturne freed himself from his earthen shackles than a column of light surged towards him. Banette slammed into his side, the tiny spikes on Cacturne's body digging into his arm and face. Cacturne hit the tree behind him, watching as the Hyper Beam enveloped his ghostly comrade.

* * *

It was quieter now, save the crunch of gravel and snapping twigs beneath their feet. Harley could hear them panting behind him, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds to know they were still there, but that wasn't his only reason. His Banette, Ariados, and Cacturne had not returned and although it had only been a few minutes, it felt as though a silent eternity had passed.

Harley had been unable to fully enjoy the carnage his Cacturne had created; he gathered it was most likely due to fearing for his own life. What bothered him most was that his amusement towards the carnage that his Pokémon dished out had remained the same, although interrupted by his need for self-preservation.

No longer were he and his Pokémon in the position of power like back at Goldenrod and the Crawdaunt. They had been outnumbered before; they had even held a small type advantage over their opponents, but the difference in strength was immense.

Harley glanced back, his heart nearly skipping a beat at the mere sight of a Hyper Beam firing through the sky and with no clue what to make of it. He found himself expecting the worse, his panicking imagination concocted scenario after morbid scenario of the fate of his Pokémon.

As they ran they heard nothing behind them, saw nothing chase them, and felt nothing near them, yet faster still they ran. They knew all to well to distrust the mask of tranquility the forest had put on. As far as they knew, Pokémon of the world could and _were_ willing to kill any human or Pokémon that they came across.

Harley thought back to what Banette done just before he had left to help Cacturne. Whether the gesture was simply to give him false reassurance or to truly promise him their safe return, Harley ran as his Pokémon had wanted him to, trusting that Banette's zipper smile and version of a thumbs-up was genuine. He could only hope that Banette had not made a promise he could not keep.

Harley's neck threatened to suffer whiplash as he turned around, his eye catching an orange twinkle in the distance. Drew suddenly felt himself thrown into the side of a tree just before a torrent of energy rushed past where he had been a moment ago. May and Whitney had stopped, running towards Drew to help him up. The beam had carved into the earth; a small trench was all that separated Drew from the others.

"Sorry," Harley said between pants, his hand extended out to Drew who only seemed capable of staring at it quizzically. Drew gazed up into Harley's eyes, as if to measure the intent behind the gesture. Eye contact was broken quickly, Harley watched Drew's gaze drift over to the trench before shifting back to Harley's hand. His reluctance was subtle, but Harley noticed and could understand why, considering their history with May.

"We have to stick together and help each other. What's happened in the past…" Harley's voice trailed off, hoping what he had said would be enough.

May and Drew stared at him, glancing past him to make sure nothing was after or coming at them. Whitney watched them deliberate silently without question; the history between the three coordinators was unknown to her. If their current situation had hastened their decision, Drew and May would never say, but each gave a weak but earnest smile and nodded.

* * *

Ariados watched them from a distance, taking deep gulps of the mouthfuls of saliva that had pooled into his mouth. The cravings for food were proving too strong for him to control. Concepts such as loyalty were losing their meaning; memories of the times he had spent with Harley were quickly degenerating.

Food had been plentiful with so many dead Ursaring around, but something older, wilder, and more savage urged him to ignore them and seek the sweeter meat and blood that was at hand. The Ariados that Harley had trained and cherished rebelled weakly against this new Ariados, now in control.

He knew would have to be careful, seeing as Harley still had Octillery at his disposal. If Cacturne, Banette, and the Ursaring were any indication, Octillery would be a powerhouse that he could not contend with. As for the other Pokémon, he did not know their status but he was not about to risk it. For now he would keep his distance and avoid being seen by them, waiting for the right chance to strike and get them all out at once and if he was lucky he could make it look like an accident.

* * *

Cacturne and Banette had taken a defensive stance, the former with his arms aimed at the fifteen Ursaring before him, the latter encircled by a ring of floating sapphire embers. The Ursaring kept their distance, despite outnumbering them; one of the human-owned Pokémon had proven to be powerful. There was no doubt that had they continued to fight carelessly, their losses would have mounted.

Cacturne and Banette had tried to reason with the Ursaring, but too much blood had been spilled on their part for any type of negotiation. Ariados was nowhere to be seen; Cacturne and Banette guessed he had left to guard the others. The group of Ursaring currently before them was in a standoff with them, but the same could not be said for another group of Ursaring that had passed them in pursuit of the humans. Banette could only hope that Ariados and Octillery would be enough to protect Harley and the others.

One of the younger male Ursaring broke the formation, preparing to launch another Hyper Beam. Banette waited until the last second before the attack fired. He suddenly dematerialized into a gray blur, temporarily one with the shadows of the forest around them.

Without warning, Banette's ghostly fist slammed into the side of the Ursaring's skull with a Sucker Punch, the force sent the Ursaring spinning as he fired. Ursaring to the left of the formation were decimated by the stray shot; the shock of the situation left Banette open to move in for the kill.

Will-O-Wisp was normally a non-lethal and non-damaging attack by normal standards, but now the standards would be redefined. The individual sapphire flames around Banette were now spinning so fast that it looked like he was girdled by a blue ring of fire. Banette turned and flew towards the closest Ursaring, phasing through with ease.

The remaining Ursaring watched in shock as Banette flew through one of their brothers, now flailing madly and screaming in agony as the sapphire flames began to burn him from the inside out. Patches of blue fire appeared on the hapless Ursaring as the supernatural flames burned their way out. Dropping onto the floor and rolling proved useless; the ghoulish flames seemed to focus solely on their victim, spreading nowhere else and seemingly unable to be extinguished. The Ursaring watched in horror as their burning brother's screams finally came to an end, leaving behind a horribly charred corpse and Banette's laughter.

In the throes of Banette's hysteric glee he had failed to notice the enraged Ursaring behind him, a black aura emanating from its arm as it reared back to strike. Banette's laughter instantly ceased at the sensation of something piercing through him. He turned his head, finding the Ursaring that had been behind him now sporting an emerald lance through the sternum, its paws wrapped weakly around the spear's base and its eyes glazing over.

Cacturne waited until Banette had turned and faced him, sending him a smile of his own. He had had second thoughts of firing his Pin Missile attack through Banette. Only when Banette had shown he could move through normal-type Pokemon did Cacturne decide to risk it.

Banette looked around and was surprised to find all the Ursaring around them dead. Several were nothing but torsos, one was scorched beyond recognition, and the final few were on their backs, each with their own emerald burial marker. Banette took notice of a few stragglers in the distance and fleeing. Cacturne surmised they were the females, offspring, and the last remaining males with enough sense to realize there was no sense in continuing to fight.

As Banette's victory laugh echoed through the forest, Cacturne reveled in a sudden surge of energy, wondering how many times he had leveled up in that single fight alone.

"Okay, I'm done," Banette said with a giggle as he floated over to Cacturne's side.

"Good, we still need to catch up to the others. Hopefully, we can take out the Ursaring if they haven't gotten to them. If not, then I hope Ariados and Octillery can take them out, or at least hold them off until we get there," Cacturne said.

The two Pokémon headed off to find the others, leaving behind a scene of absolute carnage. A scene that would be repeated many times throughout their journey.

* * *

_If you go down in the woods today you better not go alone_  
_ It's lovely down in the woods today but safer to stay at home_  
_ For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain_  
_ Because today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic_


	6. With Friends Like This

**Wow, what was originally one chapter has split into three. I'm also wondering whether I should up the rating for this fic. Compared to what Ash and company did in Kanto, I feel they got off easy. Then again they weren't near the epicenter of the revolution. Jakayrta has once again added his pwn personal flare to this chapter and for that I can't thank him enough. The chapter title may be subject to change in the future. **

* * *

The group had split apart like a rock struck by a hammer. It was not their first choice but it did slightly improve their chance of survival – and they had to grasp every chance they could. May was awestruck at strange contrast that Hyper Beam possessed. It was as large and as destructive as a runaway freight train but as silent as death itself.

Adrenaline surged through her veins; time around her seemed to slow to a crawl. Every detail of the surrounding forest, no matter how minute, popped out in stark relief. The orange river of energy rushed past her, quietly incinerating everything in its path with no warning.

Occasional explosions – the only sound that Hyper Beam ever made – punctuated the air as she ran. Each explosion threatened to throw them to the floor; waves of dirt and splinters accompanied each deafening roar. For whatever reason, it seemed as though the Ursaring had a limitless supply of energy they could form into the golden lances of Hyper Beam.

To fall was to die. To hesitate was to die. To slow down was to die.

May was quick to notice that Hyper Beam followed a laser-like trajectory, unaffected by gravity or wind. They glanced over their shoulders frequently. The slightest twinkle of orange reflexively sent them diving for cover. Trees toppled behind them as the blasts vaporized their trunks, leaving nothing but the stump, a cloud of superheated air and the canopy of the tree. Falling trees had narrowly missed them several times; their clothes and skin bore the long scratches inflicted by the trees' sharp branches.

For May there was no time for fear; no time for any thought that did not involve her survival. Everything else seemed to be compartmentalized; survival in the front and everything else dumped hastily into the back of her mind for later. If there was a later for her, or any of them for that matter.

May watched as another blinding river of energy surged past her. She had only briefly noticed that Drew was on the other side of the blast. Part of her wondered whether he would still be there once the beam finally ended. But her survival instincts leapt to the forefront, sequestering her fears and worries until later.

To May's relief, Drew was still alive – all of them still were, but it was on borrowed time. They had been running for a while now; the Ursaring had shown no signs of tiring or letting up on their onslaught. The shift was gradual but it was starting to become clearer as time passed. The Ursaring were quickly closing the distance and their attacks were landing closer and closer to the mark.

Their distant shadows had become clearer; a total of nine Ursaring were gaining on them. Whether Harley's Pokemon had reduced the Ursaring to this number at the cost of their lives was simply another thought to be captured, shrunken and sequestered for later. Her own Pokémon were in no shape to take on the onslaught of Ursaring. Hell, she doubted anyone's Pokémon were could handle the firepower they faced.

Images of her Venusaur and Blaziken reduced to a cloud of vapor by several Hyper Beams left her mind as quickly as they came to her. May's brief moment of thought proved fatal as another torrent of energy collided with the ground a few meters from her. The explosion lifted her off her feet and slammed her into a nearby tree. The bark crunched under the impact; May could've sworn she had heard and felt something snap inside her.

The pain overloaded every sense and every thought; not a sound slipped past her lips as her body slowly slid down the length of the tree. Like a searing wave of white flame the pain washed over and painted May's mind into a purgatory of anguish.

* * *

"Those imbeciles! If they kill them with these blasts, there won't be anything left for me!" Ariados hissed. He watched May fall, finding himself unable to suppress an angry hiss. His anger did not go unnoticed as one of the Ursaring turned his head in his direction. He quickly ducked behind a tree and remained still. Once he was sure he had escaped their notice he began to move, peeking around the tree to see if the coast was clear.

The Ursaring took no notice of the dark shadow flit back and forth between the trees before them. Ariados' Agility had been pushed to the limit, a few seconds of uninterrupted meditation was all he needed to max out his speed. He practically ricocheted off each tree, leaving behind a single thin strand of silk.

Ariados' silk was extremely versatile. He could make it as thick or as thin as he desired without worry of its durability or structural integrity. By simply adjusting its adhesive properties and elasticity, he could make a cast, a web, a trampoline or a network of strands as impenetrable as a forest of steel girders. From a distance, Ariados watched the horde of charging Ursaring reach his thin, nearly imperceptible, strands of silk. This silk was perhaps the most nightmarish kind, nearly invisible and incredibly strong – and sharper than a razor's edge.

* * *

Harley watched the earth shift into a blur beneath him, his legs dangling above him as he screamed. He smacked into the ground, an audible _pop_ reaching his ears as he landed shoulder first. A medley of screams and swearing erupted from him as he wondered why the fates had deemed it necessary for him to land on his already wounded shoulder.

His once manicured fingers were already clawing into the earth as he tried to flee on all fours like a Pokémon, fighting through the pain. Harley instinctively turned to see how far the Ursaring were. His body suddenly dropped to the ground and flattened itself before his brain had even registered an orange twinkle in the distance.

His heart nearly skipped a beat as the Hyper Beam soared overhead, surging past his head and into the section of earth behind him. The explosion lifted his body off the floor, flinging him through the air like a rag doll as his ears rung painfully. Harley winced as he belly flopped onto the ground, a stone digging painfully into his stomach. The wind had been knocked out of him but he would later admit it was better than landing on his arm again.

Harley rolled onto his back; the last bits of strength having been drained from his body. He positive that his death would come swiftly, the blast had sent him back several yards closer to the Ursaring. He closed his eyes, making no attempt to waste his strength in pointless exertion. He wondered whether he'd feel it, whether he'd notice the change behind the darkness of his lids.

"_I guess I'll be seeing you sooner than I thought._"

"MAY!" Drew's scream and footsteps reached his ears.

"_Take care of Drew and May for me, okay?" _Solidad's words; spoken a seeming eternity ago echoed in his mind.

Harley's eyes wrenched open, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and stomach as he rolled onto his feet, ready to dodge at a moment's notice. What awaited the end of his gaze not only filled Harley with relief, but also a sense of glee. Drew stopped dead in his tracks, watching in disbelief at the events that proceeded before him.

Two of the Ursaring had charged ahead of the others. The leftmost cradling an orange orb in its mouth while the right one lunged forward. Suddenly, its head came off and rolled forward while the now decapitated body continued to run, only to stumble after a few feet and drop to its knees. There was no dramatic geyser of blood like Harley had expected; just a few sickening spurts before the body finally toppled to the floor.

The leftmost Ursaring made it only a few feet past his fallen brother before stopping; his face a mixture of utter confusion and anguish. Ariados watched as the upper half of the Ursaring's body began to shift, the lower half still rooted to the floor. Drew fought back a wave of nausea as he watched the bisected Ursaring slowly slide into two parts with a disgusting wet noise. In contrast, Ariados seemed to enjoy the grotesque sight. His mandibles hungrily clicked together as he drooled, his body shivering with hunger.

Seven of the remaining Ursaring watched in shock and revulsion as the bisected Ursaring slowly slid apart, his blood and organs starting to flow out of the massive wound. They winced at the wet _plop-thud_ that sounded as the two halves of his body fell to the ground before his anguished roars tore through the forest. One of the Ursaring stepped forward, preparing another Hyper Beam.

Harley threw himself out of its possible range of the blast, startled to find the blast aimed nowhere near them. The dust cleared, revealing a deep crater where the two halves of the Ursaring had once been.

"_A mercy killing,_" Drew thought. Before he could contemplate more, May's scream seized his attention. Her scream did not go unnoticed by the Ursaring; their despondent stares quickly replaced with something more feral. The Ursaring watched Drew run, turning in unison as he made his way to Harley and May. The deaths of the other Ursaring were a mystery to them but they pinned the blame on their prey.

The shadow that darted around one Ursaring to the back of the group went ultimately unnoticed. By the time the Ursaring at the rear felt the breeze from Ariados rushing past him, the silk noose was already wrapped around his neck. A single tug was all it took to leave the group at six. The remaining Ursaring turned, the blood of their brother glistening in the light and fresh on the fur of their backs. The headless body stumbled before crumpling into shaggy heap on the floor, blood quickly pooling around it. One Ursaring made a motion towards his friend's corpse, feeling a paw stop him from taking another step.

Drew watched as Harley attempted to lift May to her feet, the endeavor evoking an anguished scream. Harley froze and ceased his efforts while Drew peeked around the tree. Drew's already paper-white face managed to get even pale as he watched an Ursaring charge a Hyper Beam aimed right at them.

Harley's eyes met with Drew's own green pools. Drew briefly glanced at him before turning back to whatever now had made him grow pale. He quivered where he stood, mind and body now torn between leaping out of the blast's range to live and staying – and being vaporized – with May and Harley.

May's breaths were ragged, her face twisted in unending agony. Moving her threatened to cause more harm than good, but none of that mattered if they didn't keep running. None of that mattered if they were all dead.

Drew turned on his heel to face Harley, pouncing onto him before the beam launched at them, praying that the Ursaring had aimed the blast higher. The world seemed suddenly bisected from Drew's point of view, the heavens above him now orange while everything below it stayed the same. Harley grunted beneath Drew and cushioned his fall; Drew instinctively turned towards May.

The blast had missed her by a foot and a half, leaving May in agony against a tall stump. With a sickening _crunch _the new base of the tree's upper half slammed into the stump. The wood buckled and cracked, a wave of splinters spraying over Drew's face. Drew immediately closed his eyes; doing his best to ignore the searing pain from a gash across his cheek.

Harley lifted himself off the floor, watching the upper half of the tree starting to shift towards them. Drew rammed himself against the tree, failing miserably in getting it to budge. Harley burst into a sprint, preparing to do ram against it with his shoulder until he felt it throb painfully. He stopped just before Drew with May at his feet as he watched the tree teeter.

Harley leapt into the air and slammed both his feet into the tree's trunk as he kicked off with all the strength he could muster. Drew heard the bark crunch beneath Harley's feet. He was frozen in awe as the tree actually began to topple in the opposite direction. The force of Harley's kick sent him flying; his landing accompanied by pained grunt as he bounced off the ground and finally lay still on his back.

Drew instantly crouched, nearly deafened by the tree's groaning and snapping branches as it fell. The ground shuddered; the sudden jolt causing May to screech in pain as a thin mist of dirt and dust took to the air. Drew ground his teeth, completely lost as to what to do with May. He couldn't simply ask her to stop crying; it would be easier to ask himself to not think and breath. Yet, the more she cried and writhed from the pain, the more Drew feared she would give away their positions and get them killed. Drew's head gently rose from behind the stump, hoping that his green hair would meld into the background.

Light filtered through the canopy wherever the falling tree had snapped off branches, the settling dust highlighting the rays of light. Leaves shaken loose from Harley's kick fell lazily to the floor. Unfortunately for them, the tree had landed nowhere near the Ursaring. He could see them from a distance, huddling close together as if surrounded by some unseen enemy.

Seconds ticked by without incident; the Ursaring made no attempt to move from where they stood. Drew couldn't figure why, but he wasn't about to question a miracle. As he ducked behind the stump and scampered over to Harley he couldn't help but notice that Whitney was no longer with them.

Without warning the earth shook once more, eliciting another scream from May. Harley had just started to get up when it happened, losing his balance and falling to the floor. Drew managed to keep his footing, peeking over the stump once again to see if another tree had fallen.

A translucent purple hemisphere descended upon the Ursaring, trapping them within the energy cage as arcs of purple lightning began to dance within the cage. Their legs buckled as an invisible force pushed them to the ground. Drew watched a falling leaf enter the purple energy field and suddenly stab into the earth. Harley looked around for the source of the attack, surprised to find Whitney and her Clefable not too far from the scene itself.

Whitney scanned the forests until she found them, not a single hint of surprise or relief came from her cold, dead eyes when she saw them. She calmly walked over to them; Clefable stood her ground with her paws outstretched to the Ursaring just a few feet behind her trainer. Harley looked over at the Ursaring, gradually flattening against the dirt from the pressure.

Harley recognized the move, but never displayed in such a potent manner. Gravity was meant to force flying and floating Pokémon to the ground. Harley watched as the purple hemisphere expanded and engulfed some nearby trees. The trees caught in the energy field practically exploded into mulch before his eyes. The attack would hold for a certain amount of time, giving them the chance to escape.

"Whitney, we need to heal May!" Drew called, pointing to May's crumpled form against the tree stump. Whitney helped Harley to his feet before looking to Drew and quietly nodding. She reached for her Pokéball, releasing Miltank with a flash of light. Whitney silently pointed to May; Miltank nodded and went to work.

* * *

Ariados had been the first to notice Whitney's presence. He instantly became interested in what she was going to do. He could let her live as long as she seemed useful, his hopes being rewarded when she summoned her Clefable and proceeded to attack the Ursaring. Ariados made sure to keep his distance, watching as the amplified gravity crushed the Ursaring into the earth, a few of them dying as the gravitational force crushed their skulls.

Every way he looked at it, the cards were in his favor. If Clefable killed the Ursaring he could kill her while she was tired, and vice versa. The best part was that he wouldn't have to use up as much strength as he had originally intended. A small part of him had wished Clefable hadn't come as he had concocted several ways to slaughter the Ursaring.

"_If there's any solace it's that I can simply use these on my new prey,_" Ariados thought, observing his targets from afar.

He tried staying as quiet as possible; Clefable were well known for being able to hear a pin drop from a mile away. Ariados turned his attention to the Ursaring, currently being turned into red smears on the dirt. He weighed his options; debating which Pokémon would make his hunt harder if they were allowed to live.

Ariados suppressed a chuckle as Miltank healed one of the human females, seeing it as nothing more than a wasted effort. His smile quickly subsided as they began to run once more. Afraid that any movement would give away his position to Clefable, he could only watch, his eyes darting back and forth between the pulsing hemisphere and his fleeing meal.

* * *

May glanced back over her shoulder, somewhat relieved to see the purple hemisphere still in place. She turned her sights to Drew, noticing one side of his face caked in blood. Harley ran – or more appropriately, limped – as fast as he could. Clefable skipped beside Whitney, her tiny wings, now depleted of lunar energy, were no longer functional.

Waves of earth flanked Miltank as she spun, clearing the path for Whitney and the others a few meters behind her. Clefable's ears twitched at the sound of something pass a few meters before them, the subtle sound of something being stretched and tightened until taut. Clouds of dirt and dust kicked up by Miltank's Rollout were suddenly cut through as if by sword.

Clefable acted quickly and stopped dead in her tracks, her paws thrusting out towards Miltank. Harley and Whitney didn't so much as suddenly stop as they did crash into a brick wall. Harley's hands rapidly clamped over his face, muffled swears reaching May and Drew's ears. Drew reflexively glanced back, flinching at the sight of an orange tower stabbing into the skies.

* * *

Ariados had just finished using his String Shot, hoping that someone would end up cleaved in two. His giddiness boiled into silent rage when the group stopped just before his strand.

"_Curse those fairy ears,_" Ariados fumed, the corner of his eye catching the last wisps of purple energy finally dissipating. Sprawled across the now sunken forest floor were the bodies of the Ursaring, half buried into the earth and immobile.

Slowly, but surely, three Ursaring weakly lifted themselves off the floor, their gazes slowly climbing up the wall of earth surrounding them. Ariados watched them rise to their feet within the perfect circular clearing Clefable's attack had created. The surviving Ursaring approached their fallen comrades – shaggy bags filled with broken bones and liquefied innards.

Ariados could've sworn the air was vibrating and growing colder with every second the Ursaring stared at the pelts of their brothers. Their hatred was palpable. One of them reared his head back and roared into the skies, the earth shuddered from the force of the Hyper Beam.

It took a moment for Ariados to realize that he was shivering as the Ursaring clawed and blasted their way out of the pitfall. He knew then and there that he could not let the Ursaring live if he wished to feed on his prey. The concepts of mercy and reason were lost on them as far as Ariados could tell from their feral movements. If there was to be anything left for him feast on, he would have to dispose of them. The very thought of having to deal with them paralyzed him with fear as he watched an entire strip of forest incinerated in an instant.

* * *

Miltank quickly took notice that the others were no longer behind her and ended her Rollout. She turned to find the others standing around Clefable, reflexively taking a step back when a Hyper Beam rose from the earth like a geyser. Within a few seconds an orange speck glinted in the distance; Miltank took no chances and leapt out of the beam's possible path, hoping the others would notice.

Drew noticed Miltank's sudden movement, acting on it without needing to look back for confirmation.

"MOVE!" Drew yelled as he threw himself to the floor, hoping that everyone would understand and react in time. A silent eternity passed as Drew fell, watching the events play out before him.

Clefable's body slammed into Whitney's midsection, probably knocking the wind out of her, but better than what awaited her had she not moved. Harley reached over for May and in an impressive feat of strength, lifted her off the ground and threw her two meters from him. The encroaching wall of light dominated half of Drew's sight, before Harley even had a chance to run the beam was already upon him.

* * *

Ariados flew through the air like a bullet, stripping entire sections of bark off trees with every bound as he built momentum. In seconds the humans came within view, already throwing themselves to the ground. All except for one.

Ariados' muscles locked up at the first sight of Harley, watching him in his futile attempt to sprint out of the blast's range. Worry crept into his thoughts before being banished for their sheer absurdity. Standing before him was not his master, not his friend, but his prey. Prey that would be incinerated by a Hyper Beam within the next second. Seconds now ticked by like minutes after repeatedly using Agility, Ariados contemplating his next course of action.

Ariados turned and watched the brunt of the beam bore through everything in its path one inch at a time. His attention shifted back to his potential future meal, an internal debate raging within him as to whether this meal was worth saving. His instinctual self had silently broken past ties with his old master, and yet something inside him made his next decision difficult and with mixed feelings. It was as if there were two different Ariados inside him: the feral one that cared only about his next meal and Harley's old Ariados who loved his trainer.

"_No meal is worth this much trouble, it is out of pure gluttony that I consider letting him live. He is old and scrawny; the others will prove far more appetizing. It would be easier to let him die; the others will be enough to sate me."_

"**You say that, but you he's still our master." **

_"He is a meal, nothing more. One that I will have no trouble watching go to waste._"

"**You don't mean to tell me that everything he's done for us, all the time we spent with him, truly meant nothing to you?"**

"_That is irrelevant. None of that means anything now. All that matters is the next meal_."

"**You say that, but I know the truth. You're lying to yourself. You know you care. Deep down, you don't want to watch and let him die."**

"_YOU want to save him! I owe him NOTHING_!"

"**If that were true, I wouldn't be here. If that was how you truly felt, you wouldn't be doubting yourself, having seconds thoughts. We wouldn't be talking." **

Ariados watched the beam close in on Harley; a single meter between him and death. A few minutes ago Ariados would've considered Harley's pitiful attempt to escape the blast laughable, but now, now he found no humor in the sight. Thousands of moments and memories flashed through his mind, guilt and grief ripping his soul asunder. Eyelids eclipsed his shimmering lavender pools as he made his final decision.

* * *

Drew watched a crimson blur slam into Harley's midsection, shoving him out of the blast's range. Harley's body slid across the grass, small clouds of dirt rising up behind him. Drew lifted himself off the floor, blinking several times before convincing himself that what he saw was truly there.

Sprawled over the edge of the trenched and steaming earth was an Ariados, or at least half of one. Everything past the abdomen was gone, the mandibles on its horned crimson head clicked weakly. Its last remaining legs feebly pulled what was left of it further away from the trench.

Drew stared in stunned silence as Harley slowly crawled towards the trench and his savior. His entire body was trembling, Drew could barely make out what Harley was saying, but the anguish on his face spoke volumes. Tears rolled down his cheeks, taken by the soil beneath his hands.

Ariados fought valiantly to stay alive, the world around him growing darker and colder with each passing second. It was once sight failed him that he heard his master's body drag across the dirt, stopping just a few inches from him. No words were spoken, only sharp and shaky intakes of breath. Harley's quivering hands floated just above Ariados' head; fear restrained his shaking hands.

Ariados wanted nothing more than to tell his master that it was okay. He felt no pain, and knew that if he could find solace in anything, it was that he had repaid the life that his friend had given him. His final moments had been of use to Harley, and above all, he would not die a beast.

He could not say he held no regrets; the list would've spanned several pages. Above all, he had wanted to see Harley's face one last time and to have protected him more from the Ursaring. And yet, none of these thoughts he could convey to Harley, the last of his regrets. The part of him that had wanted to feed on Harley and the others was gone, replaced now with hopes that they would all survive. It wasn't long before he could no longer sense Harley's presence, or any presence at all for that matter.

Harley watched the intervals between Ariados' twitches becoming shorter and further apart, each movement fainter than the last. Even once the movements had stopped, Harley couldn't help but try and imagine that Ariados was still moving, even if ever so slightly. There had been so much he had wanted to tell him, none of which had been able to vocalize.

"I wasn't even able to say thank you_,_" Harley muttered just as Ariados' skull was pulverized directly in front of him.

Without warning, Harley was reeled back by his collar as three hundred pounds of force crushed the remains of Ariados's body. Blood sprayed over Harley as he screamed; standing in the crushed remains and growing puddle of blood was one of the three Ursaring.

Drew pulled Harley's collar as hard as he could, disregarding the fact that he might be choking him. His eyes instantly widened at the sight of the Ursaring starting another Hyper Beam, and at such close proximity there was little chance it would miss this time around.

The same purple hemisphere appeared above the Ursaring's head, only this time it was only a foot in diameter. The Ursaring's knees buckled and it roared in agony as the gravitational force started to crush its skull. As soon as the Pokémon had been forced to the ground, its head split open with a sickening _crunch_. Ariados' bloodied remains mixed with the remnants of the Ursaring's corpse.

Clefable's paws remained outstretched once more; Gravity was no longer a non-damaging support move. She had modified her new attack by concentrating it into one spot. The results were easy to recognize but held one fatal flaw; she was completely open to an attack, an opportunity not so easily ignored.

Whitney's eyes widened ever so slightly when the second Ursaring came charging in, stabbing its claws into Clefable's midsection while her guard was down. Tiny rivers of blood rolled down the Ursaring's fur, making it glisten. Clefable's body went limp, limbs dangling around the Ursaring's bulky arm, her body held to the air for all to see.

Without mercy Clefable's body was slammed into the ground, the Ursaring's bloody claws unsheathing from her flesh. Her hands stretched out to the Ursaring, now looming over her with his leg raised. A tiny Light Screen formed, holding for less than a second when the Ursaring's leg thrust through it.

Mists of blood escaped her lips with every stomp, bones audibly snapping every time the Ursaring brought his foot down. Drew winced with each blow, turning away only to find May watching what he could not, tears streaming down her face.

Clefable's body rolled across the forest floor from the force of the Ursaring's kick, now lying still and motionless. Slowly, the Ursaring trudged towards Clefable's bloody body; he had no intention of letting the beating stop there. He had purposely held back most of strength to make sure he did not kill her; she would suffer slowly for killing his friends and brothers.

Like a spinning ball of destruction Miltank launched herself at the Ursaring before he could take another step towards Clefable, her Rollout at full power. The Ursaring turned, timing himself and mentally measuring the distance before he struck. A single plume of dirt rose as they collided, two bodies soaring out of the cloud of debris.

The Ursaring had expected Miltank to strike at his legs, that being the first of his flaws. Once he felt she was close enough he struck with all of his strength, instantly feeling the earth beneath his paws. Staring at him, now at eye level, was Miltank, her legs bent as she prepared to her own strike. She had used her Rollout to build up enough momentum and divert it into her real attack.

Miltank's head was outlined by a blue aura, her eyes closed briefly as her forehead began to glow an even more vivid blue as she shunted her energy into that single spot. She reared her head back and slammed her forehead as hard as possible into the Ursaring's face. The ground beneath them cracked from the sheer power of the Zen Headbutt. Her attack sent them flying and nearly decapitated the Ursaring. The body landed with a _crunch_; Miltank resting atop the Ursaring's corpse.

Miltank slowly lifted herself off her foe's body, quickly glancing around before leaping away with all her strength. Drew's hair was blown back from the explosion; Miltank had just barely dodged the Hyper Beam from the last Ursaring. Miltank had only just landed when the Ursaring's Hyper Beam was ready to fire at her.

The sound of laughter echoed through the woods, the orange glow within the Ursaring's mouth faded and died as an emerald spike sheathed itself into the of his head, protruding out of his mouth. Within seconds the Ursaring fell, the once distant laughter now close to the point of being deafening.

Everyone turned in the direction of the laughter to find Cacturne and Banette, the latter holding his sides and as he giggled manically while the former gave a curt and silent nod.

"Sorry we're late. What did we miss?" Banette said through chuckles. Miltank ignored them, running over to Clefable in hopes that she could still heal her.

"Tough crowd," Banette mumbled while Cacturne quickly scanned the area for Harley, hoping that he had not been hurt. Banette began spinning in place, his head swiveling in search of something.

"So, where's Aria…" Banette trailed off and his smile gradually shrunk until nothing was left and his seemingly unending supply of laughter suddenly running dry. Cacturne traced Banette's line of sight to the scene of the slaughter. Although brief, the scene proved too much for him, Cacturne's gaze quickly shifting to his shoulder.

Out of curiosity Cacturne looked over to Banette. His trademark malicious smile and fits of hilarity were replaced with widened eyes and dismay. Cacturne watched the transformation of Banette's facial features, the news slowly dawning on him. Drew, May, and Whitney ran over to check up on Clefable, but aside from that, an uncomfortable silence saturated the air.

From what Cacturne had seen; Banette's range of emotions extended little past roaring laughter and disgruntled scowls. To watch him become speechless was worse than hearing his cackling at the most inappropriate moments. Cacturne was beginning to wish Banette had laughed at Ariados's death instead, never mind how insensitive it was.

Banette gently floated towards the corpse; one arm briefly extended towards the carnage before instantly reeling it back as if fear of touching a flame. He held his wrist, pressing it against his chest and turned away, eyes cast to the grass. His gaze shifted back and forth along the ground, he wore a look of uncertainty, unsure as to how he should feel.

Cacturne held his own arm to where it would've met Banette's shoulder, ghostly crimson eyes rose to meet his own yellow eyes. Banette gave a weak smile before quietly floating past him; Cacturne was left to stand alone. For the first time that day, he felt utterly useless.

* * *

Drew watched the skies turn a regal magenta, the distant sun dipping into the horizon past the sea of trees. Miltank had managed to heal most of Clefable's wounds, as well as any the group had sustained. Cacturne and Banette did their best to guard them from any wild Pokemon, working twice as hard to make up for the loss of Ariados and Wigglytuff.

Harley made a tiny grave marker for his fallen Pokémon, but left the soil around them untouched. The Ursaring hadn't left anything of Wigglytuff to bury, unlike Ariados where there was nothing solid enough to lay to rest. Drew, Whitney, and May did the same, each of them going through their mental eulogies before they were ready to leave. No one made any promises to visit the graves; doubts as to whether they would ever find them were high, seeing as they had no knowledge of where they were in the first place.

With what little light they had they scoured the forest for a campsite, their sights set on finding another vacant cave. The skies drank in the final rays of sunset, but it wasn't long before everyone knew that they would have to settle for an open campsite in the woods.

There had been a long debate as to whether or not they should build a fire; the risk of garnering attention from the light and smell was thrown back and forth. Cacturne and Banette offered their services; Harley reminded the others that Cacturne was nocturnal while Banette's ability was Insomnia.

Whitney had managed to save some of the berries they had taken from the trees earlier; the others couldn't help but look distastefully at them. For all the pain, the fear, the loss, and exhaustion that they had gone through, they wondered whether the berries had been worth the trouble.

Cacturne was beginning to set up camp as he had the other day, the perimeter around them laced with his emerald needles. Banette hovered several meters above the clearing, watching for other attackers aiming to come at them through the skies.

May and Drew surveyed their surviving Pokémon, checking to see who would be able to take over for Harley's remaining party. Munchlax had made a full recovery with Miltank's help, his singed fur the only reminder of what he had gone through. Roserade and Masquerain were still in prime condition, making them the first candidates for guard duty.

Blaziken had yet to gather back all of his strength, his small wrist-flames were indicative of his condition. Glaceon and Wartortle were the next two candidate for the morning's guard duty, suffering only minimal injury from the fight at Goldenrod. Venusaur was to be used as a last resort – she was just a large target otherwise

Cacturne was only a quarter of the way done with setting up the perimeter when Banette frantically called out to him. The way Banette spoke; the way he looked at him with such fear; Cacturne couldn't help but feel that he was reliving moments of Wigglytuff's death, hoping these next events were not a replay.

Jade spikes extended from every inch of Cacturne's body as he took a fighting stance, the event not going unnoticed. Blaziken, Clefable, and Miltank stood close to their trainers; the remaining Pokémon had their backs to their trainers. Banette descended into the clearing, hovering over to Cacturne and floating beside him.

"How bad?" Cacturne asked, hoping that the fact that everyone had released their Pokémon had increased their chances of survival.

"Really bad," Banette said solemnly.

"It can't be worse than what we just-"

"-It _is_ worse" Banette interjected, closing his eyes as his shoulders sagged in defeat. "If what I saw was real, we're screwed."

"How many?" Cacturne inquired, hoping the others couldn't hear Banette and lose their nerve.

"All I know is that it's more than the amount of Ursaring we fought today. They're faster, and from the looks of it, they're smarter too. They had us surrounded the second we stopped."

"Next course of action?" Cacturne asked, still holding a fighting stance, but now questioning whether or not it mattered anymore.

Banette sighed and looked at him wearily; a tired smile graced his face.

"There's no chance we could hold them off to let the others escape, and unless you can fly out of here really fast, there's no point in trying to bail. I don't know about you, but I'll stay and fight. Harley's been good to me; least I can do is go down with him and hope he dies quickly," Banette said with a tired sigh.

"How long until they-" Cacturne demanded. Maybe, _just_ _maybe_, they could survive this like they did last time.

"-Five seconds ago, not nearly enough time for you to do that spike field trick if that's what you were thinking."

Banette ended his last words with a dark chuckle. It might be the last time he would do so.

* * *

Drew watched the bushes around him shuffle, dark figures slowly approaching them in unison. Their bodies were so dark they practically melted out of the darkness, crimson snouts and underbellies briefly revealed by tiny tufts of flame every time their nostrils flared. Several white bands were wrapped around their ankles and back, while two long pale horns curled out from the tops of their heads.

Drew recognized the Pokémon as Houndoom, having heard stories about them from when he was a kid. Their howls were said to be the calls of the Grim Reaper. And worse, their flames are reputed to cause everlasting pain if one was burned by them. At this point, the legends about them appeared to not be so far-fetched.

May's legs quivered and eventually buckled, her arms hanging lifelessly at her sides. "_It's not fair. It's not fair! Why did we try so hard to survive to this point, just to die? Why did Solidad have to die? Why did my Pokémon, Drew's Pokémon, Harley's Pokémon have to die to for nothing?_" she silently fumed.

Cacturne quickly understood why Banette had said that there was no hope of victory for them. Houndoom were half dark-type and half fire-type – easily the weakness of more than half the group.

May and her group were surrounded, outnumbered, exhausted, and finished.


	7. The Devil's Advocate

**I just wanna start off by thanking Jakayrta and REV6Pilot for doing such a great job with this chapter. Sorry for it being so long since my last update, but to make up for it I'll be trying to update a lot more frequently during this summer.  
**

* * *

Drew walked over to May, her body barely propped up by her arms as she shuddered with every quiet sob. He made his way around her body and knelt down before her, his back to the Houndoom. She felt his arms abruptly wrap around her, pulling her body towards him. She could feel his frantic heartbeat against her chest, her chin cradled in the nape of his neck. She slowly lifted her arms, sliding them across his back and pulling him closer as well.

"I'm… sorry. I'm sorry that… all of this happened. You deserved better than this," Drew choked out, struggling to keep his voice calm and collected, as he had always been able to do before. He closed his eyes, hoping to confine any stray tears attempting to flee.

Whitney's dead eyes were downcast, her face absent of nearly all emotion. She was still, save for a few minute shakes that wracked her entire body. Her fists were clenched so tightly that that they shook, and tears silently streaked down her face. Harley's hand rose, hesitantly inching towards her shoulder, before falling back to his side. The way she held her screams in at the injustice of their situation, how she refused to fall to the ground like May and Drew had, spoke to him in so many ways.

Since he had met her she hadn't uttered a word. Everything he knew about her came from May and Drew. She had seemingly made every effort to let no sound pass her lips the since they had left Goldenrod, so the sound of her voice was left to his imagination. Now she stood before him, biting her bottom lip, her tears now dangling precariously at the edge of her chin.

Not once did she look up or attempt to move from where she stood. It was more than the fear of death that sent shivers through every cell of her being. It was more than dread at having come so far, only to have it mean nothing that released the floodgates on the tears she had so carefully bottled up.

There was something else in her posture: acceptance.

At some point during her time with them, she had taken into consideration that the spectre of death loomed closer with each passing day. Now faced with her predictions come true, even if it promised to reunite her with everything she had lost, she found it hard to take the news calmly.

It wasn't long before Harley wanted to shed his own tears and yell at the skies, yell until he collapsed and died from exhaustion. After every tear they shed and droplet they bled, they were going to die. Ariados, Flygon and Solidad's deaths now seemed to have been in vain. "I'm… sorry, Solidad. Doesn't look like I'll be able to keep my promise," he whispered, clenching his jaw until his teeth started to hurt. He prayed for May and Drew's deaths to be painless… or at least quick.

* * *

Five words.

Five simple words. Five simple, yet impossible words.

"We mean you no harm."

Banette and Cacturne weren't sure they had heard the words correctly, yet the message resonated endlessly within their minds.

Cacturne maintained his fighting stance, doing his best not to appear dumbfounded by the Houndoom's words. Banette's mouth parted slightly, no sound venturing past his zipper mouth.

Of the entire pack, one Houndoom, larger than the rest, stood apart, the pale horns on his head raked sharply backwards. The only visible scars they could see were along his snout and chest, a black sea of fur hiding any others his body had probably received.

'_If that's not the pack leader, I can't imagine who is,'_ Cacturne thought, having contemplated several dozen scenarios where taking out the leader would improve their chances at survival. None had any chance of success.

The alpha's expression was calm; in fact, not a single member of the pack bared their teeth. Their eyes were cold and analytical, but they carried none of the weight that the Ursarings' baleful stares carried. Cacturne couldn't feel any lethal intent from any of the Houndoom.

"We come in peace," the Alpha said slowly, his curiosity spiking as he watched their eyes widen.

"What do you want?" Cacturne replied, the spines protruding from his body quivering menacingly in a futile attempt at intimidation.

"My pack has taken notice of your group's condition. We've come to lead you to shelter and offer you sustenance."

Cacturne held his tongue. Calling Alpha a liar would be a _very_ unwise move, lest he invite the wrath of the entire pack.

Despite the warmth of the summer air, a cold chill seemed to blow through the group of survivors. The air was still as both sides hit a stalemate.

"Why?" Banette asked, breaking the stifling silence. Skepticism oozed from his voice, like venom. '_This must be some kind of sick joke to make us lower our guard. Are they just playing with us before we're slaughtered?' _he thought bitterly. But as he continued to stare at the Houndoom, something about them said otherwise. A tiny flame of hope flared inside him, one that he quickly snuffed out. '_This can't be. Not after all we've been through, all we've lost. The very Pokémon that could wipe us out in an instant… are helping us__?_'

Alpha gave him a puzzled look, raising his head back for an instant before lowering it back down. "From your appearance we can tell that you've had a run in with the Ursaring and from the smell of their blood on your bodies, we understand you've slain a number of them. You have my thanks. May I speak to the alpha of your pack?"

Cacturne refused to break eye contact with Alpha, despite his comment being a thought provoking one. Seconds ticked by without movement from either side, until Cacturne relented, giving a quick sideways glance to the group behind him. Harley and the others were still rooted where they stood, guarded closely by Blaziken, Miltank, and Clefable.

'_Who __is__ in charge? I'd say Harley and the others, but lately I've been acting on my own. Even then, they don't possess the gift of tongues that we do. It's probably better that I don't know; there's gotta be something more to these Houndoom, like they're wanting to get rid of the ones in charge to make the disorganized. Our formation and the way we've guarded them probably gave it away. But… why go through all the trouble? They have us outmatched and outnumbered and the way they look at us… it's like we're not prey. We pose no more threat to them than corpses. What if… what if they really do want to help? It's too good to be true, but…'_

The silence was becoming uncomfortable; Cacturne couldn't help but feel that their supposed reapers were showing an unprecedented amount of patience for his answer. His arms flopped to his sides, the needles protruding from his body retracting with an audible _shink_.

'_I don't want to keep them waiting, and don't want to piss them off. But whose name do I say? Our strongest? I think Blaziken might fit that role… but he's only at half strength. I guess… would that leave me? Would that be too egotistical?'_

Cacturne's gaze fell to the dirt. Whether or not he maintained eye contact with the Alpha no longer mattered: they were essentially dead if the Houndoom were lying. He couldn't believe he was going to ask them this, but it was worth a shot to stall for time to come up with a plan.

"Can I… can we… be given a moment to talk with our group?" he hesitantly asked.

Banette stared incredulously at Cacturne, shifting his astonishment to the Alpha when he nodded in response. As the cactus trekked back to the humans, he shadowed him, unable to shake off his bewilderment.

Cacturne noticed Blaziken tense up as he approached, glancing over his shoulder to watch the Houndoom pack.

"What's going on?" Blaziken said under his breath once Cacturne was within earshot.

"They… want to help us," Cacturne whispered back.

Blaziken merely stared back at Cacturne. Banette couldn't help but notice that the starter had no eyebrows to arch in disbelief, the closest to it being the crimson V-shaped crest on his face tilting to a side as his head subtly shifted back.

"…And they wanna talk to someone, preferably someone in charge," Banette added, watching Blaziken redirect his stare to him before shifting it back and forth between him and Cacturne.

"What's the catch?" Blaziken hissed, his attention finally settling on Cacturne.

"…Nothing from the looks of it. It looks like they're no friends of the Ursaring and seeing as we took out a few of-"

"A few? That's quite the understatement: we wiped out dozens of 'em!" Banette interjected loudly. Blaziken and Cacturne turned towards him - in perfect unison, he noticed. _'Eerie.'_ "What? There's really no point in whispering: those guys have ridiculously good hearing. They'd have to be a mile away not to hear us."

Cacturne and Blaziken glanced over to the Houndoom, still rooted to where they stood, waiting patiently for Cacturne's return and answer.

"So much for privacy," Cacturne mumbled to the floor.

"So what do you think?" Blaziken asked, his eyes never leaving the alpha Houndoom and his pack. The question remained open to anyone willing to answer.

Cacturne remained silent as Banette awaited his answer, becoming impatient when it became apparent he didn't have one.

"…I say we go with them," Banette answered, not surprised to find both Cacturne and Blaziken looking at him as if he had sprouted a second head. "What? You think I'm crazy? Look at Harley and the others! We've run them to their breaking point, maybe even beyond. Do you think they can put up with this any longer? Maybe the Houndoom are lying; so what? If they really wanted to kill us, they wouldn't have gone through this much trouble. They can kill us all now or they can take us wherever they plan on taking us and then kill us there! In the end, we're still dead! We can't outrun them, and even if we could, they know our scents, so we wouldn't be able to hide! And we don't have a damn chance in a fight, we'd get slaughtered before we even touched a single one of them! They know we're weakened, they can see it!"

Cacturne and Blaziken. The silence was punctuated by Banette's breathing as his lungs tried desperately to keep up with his mouth. When he finished, his eyes rested on Cacturne.

"Any way you look at it they've got us by the ba… well I don't know what _you've_ got, but they've got that too," Banette said in calm voice that contrasted glaringly with his previous hysterical tone.

* * *

Harley watched Cacturne and Banette approach them, the former sporting a defeated slump in his posture as the latter gawked at him from behind. Blaziken stepped forward to meet them, each repeating the respective variations of their names.

What started out as whispers quickly exploded into yells from Banette. He briefly glanced at his master before he motioned to the surrounding Houndoom. Harley looked on in silent frustration. He would have given anything to be able to understand the conversation that was going on between his Pokémon. He had watched them exchange a few words with what appeared to be the alpha of the pack earlier, unsure of what had been said between them. He now understood, from Cacturne's defeated posture, that it did not bode well for them.

Once Banette had calmed down, he and Cacturne began to head back to their original posts before the Houndoom. Blaziken kept his back to May's group, no longer holding a fighting stance – or any stance, for that matter. Cacturne stood before the Houndoom, closer than Harley thought was safe.

The minute that passed was like a silent eternity, save for the murmured words exchanged between Cacturne and the alpha. Slowly, his Pokémon turned to them and yelled out his name. The Houndoom behind him gave a bark, which, although lacking in ferocity, succeeded in making them all flinch.

Harley felt everything around him move at once, quickly scanning the edges of the clearing. The Houndoom melted back into the shadows beyond the bushes, except for six that held their ground around the Houndoom with whom Cacturne had spoken to. Harley noticed the subtle difference in their demeanor, ears perking at what Cacturne had announced to them.

Without a word Cacturne turned and began walking beside the alpha and what he noticed to be his own personal entourage. Hesitantly, but gradually, the trained Pokémon began to follow. Whitney and May noticed the sudden absence of their Pokémon even before they realized they were no longer surrounded.

Banette waited for everybody to pass him. He remained, unmoving and hovering, his eyes fixated on Harley, beside whom Harley Drew and May now stood. Whitney lifted her head, her grief now replaced with genuine curiosity. Her eyes showed the first real signs of life that Harley had seen in all the time he had been with her.

Banette gave them a weary smile, turned to the rest of the group swung his arm over his shoulder, beckoning them to follow him. It was only after a few steps that he stopped and turned to find them still rooted where they stood. For a moment he was silent, before he finally extended an arm towards them and gave a thumbs-up.

Harley and the others stood dumbfounded and paralyzed, as Banette continued off into the murky distance.

"Harley…what just happened?" May asked, wiping away lingering tears that had built up in the corners of her eyes.

"I don't know…but I think they want us to follow them," Harley replied. Banette would not have given him a thumbs-up if things weren't actually okay.

* * *

Cacturne did his best to pick up his pace and keep up with the alpha Houndoom. His body radiated a palpable tension. Granted, he found it hard to relax, given that he was surrounded on three sides by wild Pokémon with a type advantage over him.

"Tell me what your group needs, so that I may send my runners off ahead to fetch it before we reach our compound," Alpha inquired.

Cacturne nearly stumbled, the question having him caught off guard. Once again his trust in the Houndoom was being tested. Pokémon weren't known to lie unless it made up a large part of their nature and it played directly into how they survived. Cacturne had little knowledge of Houndoom, or any of the Pokémon native to Johto, so he couldn't tell.

"If it's not too much to ask… A few accessories of human beds would be much appreciated, as well as some food, water, and utensils," he replied. If they were all being deceived, he might as well humor his captors.

"I will have them get right on that then," Alpha responded quickly before he gave a quick pattern of barks to the Houndoom on his left. Nearly instantaneously, the Houndoom dissolved into the darkness. Cacturne couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't understood the orders Alpha had given, but then just assumed it was a kind of code.

Almost as if now really sensing the suspicions of the group he was leading, Alpha spoke. "I assume that recent events have proven very trying for your group, and I understand that it is difficult to trust us. Our motives for aiding you may seem suspicious, but I assure you that we mean you no harm. I understand that it is impossible to expect your trust under such circumstances, but I only wish that my word is eventually enough to ease your worries."

Cacturne said nothing in return. They walked, and he flinched when Alpha suddenly began to laugh.

"What's so funny, if you don't mind me asking?" he inquired nervously.

"Your distrust of us reminds me of the distrust my pack felt for humans a great many seasons ago. It is natural to distrust strangers. And now that I think about it, if you were to trust us immediately, I would call you a fool. Trust is something earned through actions and time. By the end of this journey, I hope we may see each other as friends," Alpha said.

"Why? It's not that I don't appreciate your pack's willingness to help us, but to get this hospitality from wild Pokémon…"

"Allow me to explain: Houndoom rely heavily on group tactics to hunt. If one member becomes a liability, then the entire pack takes responsibility for fixing that. My pack started out small; only six of us in total. When one became sick, we had no way of helping him heal. In desperation, we stole from a nearby town, thinking food would help him. Our actions did not go unnoticed and brought about the arrival of a small group of humans. Even if a Houndoom is not related to another of the pack by blood, we still treat each other as family. Despite being strangers and human, the humans helped in healing our wounded brother. They were not from within our pack, and yet they sought to help us with the same tenacity and vigor that I would expect from one of my own. Since then, I have grown to respect a creature's capability of kindness."

"Like the Ursaring," Banette interjected sarcastically, floating beside Cacturne and Alpha.

"Not all wild Pokémon of this region are aggressively territorial like the Ursaring. I can only imagine that your group's encounter with them was unpleasant."

'_Unpleasant' is a major understatement,'_ Cacturne thought. He then took a deep breath as he prepared to dig up painful memories. "We… lost two friends to them," he let out with a sigh, looking at the ground.

As Cacturne spoke, Banette quietly stared at the forest floor. Alpha was quiet for a minute, the news clearly bothering him.

"I am truly sorry for your loss. Your distrust is now understandable. To think the Ursaring have gone as far as to kill over territory…" Alpha's words ended with a distressed sigh.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about them for a while," Cacturne said.

"Why? You didn't kill them all, did you?"

"No. The females and young didn't enter the fight, and we didn't pursue the ones who fled."

"Ikilledsix," Banette said rapidly, masking his words with a fake cough.

"Yes, I recall you mentioning that earlier. If they're as menacing as you say, and they _fled_ from you, then your group is a force to be reckoned with. You might very well have something to teach _my_ pack," Alpha chuckled.

"All of my skill and strength I owe to my trainer," Cacturne replied.

He was quite surprised to find Alpha smiling at his response. "I admire such humility in a Pokémon," he replied.

He then focused on the path ahead, leaving the group to walk in silence for the remainder of their journey.

"Yeah, remind me to ask Harley to award you the Brown Nose ribbon when he gets the chance," Banette mumbled.

Cacturne ignored the comment, glancing over his shoulders to assess who was where. The entire group, save Venusaur and Octillery, had strategically positioned themselves around each Houndoom's blind spot. Whether the fire dogs noticed this and didn't care, or hadn't noticed at all, was a question.

Cacturne had briefly announced their situation; the subtle intonation of his voice had let them know to stay on their toes around the Houndoom. Even if they hadn't noticed, even if they knew they stood no chance against the pack members, they had nonetheless taken measures to take at least one with them if a fight

'_Admirable, but it if a fight broke out now, it wouldn't really matter,_' he thought bitterly.

Trailing slowly behind them were Harley and the others, looking, and probably feeling, like they had been on the receiving end of a Spinda's Teeter Dance.

"I don't blame them," he muttered, shifting his gaze back to the dark forest before him as he contemplated methods of explaining the predicament to the humans.

* * *

Despite feeling like a lot longer, it was only a few minutes until Alpha stopped in the center of a clearing before the gaping maw of a cave. Four tattered sets of pillows and blankets were laid out before them. Along these were two small mounds, one of various foodstuffs and one of assorted pans, plates, and other utensils.

Drew and the others more or less collapsed into their pillows. They limped towards the site as if in a trance, caution and question thrown to the wind. Glaceon and the other Pokémon had established a perimeter around their trainers, one by one dozing off as the hours ticked by. The Houndoom never advanced towards them.

A small open flame danced beneath the black canvas of the night with the stars overhead twinkling in their full splendor, unmolested by city lights. The campfire had been courtesy of Alpha himself, now sitting and staring over the flickering flames at Cacturne and Banette, the former sitting cross-legged while the latter floated a foot off the ground.

"I understand if you do not feel comfortable, but surely you must be tired," Alpha said.

"Not really, my species is naturally nocturnal," Cacturne curtly replied. "I'll be sleeping in the morning, but right now I want to talk with you."

"I don't sleep… Insomnia," Banette explained.

"Very well, what is it that you would like to ask me?" Alpha replied.

Cacturne was silent for a moment, then he turned to Banette, who was equally silent and shrugged beneath his gaze. When Banette's inability to help on the matter became evident through a sheepish smile and another shrug, Cacturne turned back to Alpha. "It seems like you brought your entire pack with you to meet us. I'm curious as to why?"

"Recent events have put us on edge."

"How so?" Banette interjected, leaning forward with genuine interest.

"We were able to discern your presence through sound and smell once you entered our territory. With so many in our pack, it would be difficult for something to enter our domain and catch us off guard. And yet… _he_ appeared without warning within our midst. _His_ presence was like nothing I have ever experienced." Alpha shook visibly.

"Who is _h__e_?" Cacturne prodded, interested and anxious as to what was strong enough to strike fear into the entire pack of such menacing beasts. The more they knew, the better.

"He proclaimed himself to be Entei and said he had come on behalf of his master, Ho-oh. He was unlike any Pokémon we had ever encountered."

"How so?"

"We did not so much as see him as we felt his presence. The air started to vibrate violently all of a sudden, only there was no heat to make it do so. A cape of smoke billowed from his neck, the fur on his body was dark brown and he had black bands wrapped around his ankles. Merely being in his presence was practically suffocating. It felt like gravity had intensified tenfold. It took everything I had to maintain eye contact with him; and even so, staring into his eyes, those crimson eyes… It left me with a fear that had no rival. Several of my pack lapsed into unconsciousness, and those left standing had no courage to growl at his intrusion. I can't blame them: the thought borders on insanity."

"What did he want?" Banette asked, sifting through his memories, looking for a Pokémon that matched the Houndoom's description. In all his years he'd been around he had never come across that name.

"He apparently came to inform us and reinforce his master's will, which he said was the voice within our heads that once told us that we were to kill any humans we came across, to take this world back from them."

A thought struck Banette, just like his Thunder. "Hey, didn't we hear something similar back in the city? Just before we were to take the stage at the contest?" he exclaimed to Cacturne.

"I distinctly remember hearing something like that before I passed out," his friend replied.

"I'm guessing you guys went on a rampage as well?" the ghost asked, the question directed at Alpha.

"Rampage?" Alpha asked, his head cocked to one side in the classic _questioning canine position_.

"Yeah, like a few days ago, around midnight?"

"If my knowledge serves, no one from my pack went on a rampage."

"What?"

"We did, however, notice a dramatic increase in our physical prowess and senses," Alpha added, hoping it would shed light on the situation.

"Yeah, we did too, but that was after we woke up from when we passed out," Cacturne murmured.

"Eventually he left us, but only after we agreed to do as his master had commanded. We had no intention of following through with his order to kill humans, but whether he knew we lied or not must not have been of great importance to him. His presence had such an effect on us that I have reason to believe he didn't notice anything."

Cacturne and Banette couldn't help but feel a tinge of comfort at the Houndoom's story.

"We assumed that we were not the only ones who had received a boost in our abilities, so when we sensed your group, we thought that you were a flock of Ursaring taking advantage of the situation to increase their territory."

"Well, that explains why all of you came to see us at once," Banette said with a sigh.

"Where did you get the food and supplies from?" Cacturne said, his arm pointed in the direction of the two mounds near the humans.

"There is a human settlement not far from here, and seeing how urgent it was for your group to receive sustenance, we felt it necessary to, let's say "borrow", from a storage room they have," Alpha replied nonchalantly.

Cacturne decided it wasn't an issue worth digging into unless he wanted to annoy the Houndoom, and decided to change the subject. "We can't thank you enough for what you've done for us," he said, expressing his gratitude the only way he knew how. Banette stared at him in bafflement as he bowed his head before Alpha. The action was brief, but brought a smile to the bone-covered dog's face.

"What will your group do in the morning?" Alpha asked once Cacturne had resumed a sitting position.

"I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that they'll want to spend some time recuperating."

"Take as long as you need. Once your group is at full strength, I will have one from my pack lead you to the human settlement. If you'll excuse me, I will retreat for the night. Let us speak more tomorrow," Alpha said as he stood on all fours, bowed his head gently and dissolved into the shadows.

Cacturne sat and Banette floated, both in silence, staring at the flames.

"So… What do you think?" Banette asked, his eyes fixated on the flames slowly dying down.

"I think we're lucky. Impossibly lucky. I think it's too good to be true," Cacturne confessed. He didn't care if Houndoom were listening in.

"You tell me. But I think they're telling the truth: no one would go this far just to kill us in the end. Even if they were, it's not like it matters. Dead is still dead."

"By the way…" Cacturne said, trailing off. He had no idea how to phrase his next statement without it sounding insulting.

"What?"

"While we're here, keep the laughing to a minimum. I don't want your annoying laughter to piss them off and ruin everything."

Banette gave an exaggerated gasp, shifting back with a reproachful look on his face that quickly dissolved when he could no longer hold on to the façade, his zipper smile stretching across his face.

"You wound me, Cacturne," he announced dramatically, to which his friend rolled his eyes. "Just 'cause I'm a ghost Pokemon doesn't mean I don't have feelings! But fine, I'll try and keep my laughing on the down low… On one condition." His arm extended towards Cacturne and wagged a single finger in his face.

"Dare I ask?" the animated cactus replied bitingly as he closed his eyes and sighed. He finally gave into his curiosity. "What is it?"

"You've gotta stop being a green bag of pricks!" Banette cackled.

Cacturne sighed and held his head in his hands as bouts of Banette's laughter echoed around the encampment. There would be no end to the ghost's laughter for the foreseeable future.

* * *

Banette hadn't thought it was possible, but as the sun crept across the sky he came to accept that Harley, Cacturne, and the others would be asleep for the remainder of the day. He couldn't imagine what it was like to sleep, or dream. In his opinion, sleeping was not only a waste of time, but of life. To be stationary for so long when one could be doing something productive, like poking fun at others and laughing at their expense, created a load of missed opportunities.

Cacturne had returned to the confines of his Pokéball around Harley's slumbering form, as had Masquerain, Wartortle, and Venusaur. The others had established another perimeter around their trainers. A small portion of the food mound had been taken, giving most of the group a good portion of their energy back.

"It's going to be raining soon," one of the Houndoom said and left Banette as quickly as he had approached. Roserade, Blaziken, and Miltank joined the haunted toy once the dark-furred dog was at a distance. He turned to them, his brow raised, and smirked when they began whispering to him.

"I keep telling you guys that they can hear us a mile away; there's no point in whispering."

"Never mind that then! What did they say?" Roserade demanded.

"Relax, relax, don't get your petals in a twist. They just told us that it's gonna be raining soon, that's all."

Blaziken scanned the skies, finding the northernmost edge of the horizon darkening ominously.

"What did they want us to do?" Roserade asked, doing her best to not lose her patience with Banette, who was doing a terrible job of stifling the snickers that eroded her patience.

"I don't know, they just told us it was gonna rain," he replied with a shrug.

"We'll need to find a suitable shelter if we want to protect Whitney and the others from the rain," Miltank noted. Her gaze traveled around the clearing.

There was nothing that could shelter them from the impending deluge.

"There's a cave over there."

She turned to Banette, who pointed out to the yawning maw of a cave not unlike the one they had stayed in previously.

"I said _suitable_ shelter!"

"If we go there we can be easily cornered," Blaziken added, his arms crossed.

"Cornered by what?" Banette asked skeptically. Roserade and Miltank glared back at him as if the answer was the most obvious thing on the planet. He knew what the answer was – to the eyes of the two in front of him, at least. "You're kidding, right?" His question was answered with silent glares. "I can't believe you guys! How can you _still_ think they're out to get us?"

"What if they're saving us for later? If they were to kill us now, we would spoil before they finished feasting on our corpses," Roserade muttered darkly.

"You're all insane!" Banette blurted out, earning himself several incredulous looks. To be called insane from a Pokémon who'd spent half of his life laughing manically was the straw that broke the Camerupt's back; Banette was met with a stony silence as Roserade and Miltank turned their backs to him.

Tiny needles of icy rain began to fall from the rapidly blackening sky, the cave Banette had pointed out becoming more and more inviting with each raindrop.

"It's up to you," he shrugged with a sigh as he closed his eyes.

* * *

**Fifteen minutes later…**

"WILL YOU SHUT UP?" Roserade barked. Her yells was drowned out by Banette's maniacal laughter echoing off the cavernous walls as he flew wildly up and down the place's length. The flowery Pokémon clamped the bouquets over her ears, fuming silently as her nemesis' hysteria gradually died down. Blaziken gingerly placed May's body on the sheets they had laid across the cave's floor.

What had started out as a gentle yet cold shower gradually became a downpour of icy water more akin to a waterfall than a storm. Fat raindrops mercilessly bombarded the earth outside the sheltering confines of the cave. Octillery, Glaceon, and Munchlax guarded the entrance to the cave, each scanning a different part of the clearing to make up for the others' blind spots. Blaziken, balancing on a single leg, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

Roserade moved opposite to the fire bird and joined Clefable and Miltank with a sigh of relief in what little silence she'd been granted. Once Banette was satisfied with his acoustic test of the cave, he let the mild roar of the rainstorm replace his raucous laughter. A thin mist floated through the surroundings.

Clefable's ears twitched, an action that failed to go unnoticed by both Blaziken and Roserade. He lazily opened one eye and uncrossed his arms, then pushed himself off the wall and walked over to Clefable. Her ear twitched again. Her face was grave, eyes closed as if to mentally construct whatever events her ears caught hits of.

"What's going on?" the starter asked softly. Her eyes remained closed.

"The Houndoom are fighting," she replied darkly.

Blaziken traded glances with Banette and Roserade before turning back to Clefable.

"Who?" he asked.

"I… I don't know. They were talking only moments ago. It sounded like a territorial dispute."

"The Ursaring?" Banette thought out loud.

"No, this doesn't sound like them at all."

Clefable winced.

"What?"

"It's a little hazy because of the rain, but I can make out some things. It sounds like trees are falling, and the ground is shaking a lot. Whatever's doing that must be really heavy. The sounds were coming really fast, but they stopped, guess because of the Houndoom. They're still moving forward, but their progress is much slower. I can't tell exactly what's happening, but it sounds like several battles are going on. It doesn't sound good: the Houndoom sound like they're getting slaughtered."

Banette started making his way towards the cave's exit. "They need our help."

"Banette, stop!" Roserade yelled, her order resounding through the cavern.

Roserade flinched when Banette whirled his entire body around to face her, his nostrils flared, glaring daggers at her. His trademark zipper smile had morphed into a threatening scowl. "Why? Give me _one good reason_ why we shouldn't go help them!"

"It's not our place to interfere. This is a territorial dispute between them. It has nothing to do with us," Roserade replied calmly.

"That's not exactly true," Clefable interjected. This statement earned her an equal share of disbelief and irritation from every eye in the cave that was paying attention to her. "Whether it's part of the territory that they lost and want back or there's something special here, whoever they're fighting…they apparently want _this_ cave."

Banette glared at Roserade with a look that practically spat _So, what do you have to say for yourself now__? _

"Those Houndoom had every opportunity to tear us to shreds but they're out there getting slaughtered for our sake. Whatever's out there is clearly stronger than them; if we don't help them, then we'll have to deal with it eventually. If we couldn't fight these guys, what's to say we can take on whatever they're fighting? I say we help them while they're still alive. If we work together, we might be able to take down whatever they're up against," Blaziken said, staring out into the rain where a plume of dirt and dust, which the rain quickly washed down, rose above the trees in the distance.

Without another word, the starter walked past Roserade and Banette. Clefable nodded and was the next to leave her place by the wall and join Blaziken. The living toy giggled excitedly before he turned and flew out of the cave at full speed, his laughter taking on a more sinister tone.

"Hold the fort while we're gone, all right?" was all that Blaziken said to Octillery, Munchlax, and Glaceon before he stepped into the rain and sprinted across the clearing.

Glaceon watched Clefable hover along the ground as she headed into battle. The ice-based Eeveelution drew on every iota of her courage and burst out into the driving rain to join her comrades in battle. Roserade was left behind with Munchlax, Miltank, and Octillery.

"Aren't you going to leave, too?" Roserade asked. Her voice was frigid enough to rival Glaceon's Blizzard.

Munchlax and Octillery visibly flinched and stiffened at her presence suddenly directly behind them. Slowly, they turned to her, and found her gaze not on them, but fixated on the forest's edge, past the clearing.

"Someone's gotta stay here and protect the others. Octillery can take care of anything from a distance and anything that comes close gets clobbered by me," Munchlax replied, holding up a glowing fist for emphasis.

The two sentries parted to allow Roserade passage. They felt an aura of anger radiate from her, not unlike the shimmering waves of heat that surrounded a Magmar. They watched her slow march into the distant battlefield.

The sheer force of her anger seemed to deflect the torrential downpour.


	8. Perchance to Dream

**Just wanna thank Jakayrta for adding his much appreciated flare to the writing and REV6Pilot for his contributions to this chapter as well. I've started noticing that this version of the Johto arc seems to focus more on the Pokemon rather than the actual trainers. Hope that doesn't bother you. I try to keep it balanced. For those of you who've already read the previous version of the Johto arc, you're in for a treat. This chapter is entirely original; I decided to come up with it for just this arc. In all the time that I've been working on this series, I've always wanted to do something special. This chapter ended up being so long that I decided to split it up into two chapters, hence why I changed the title last minute, but if you know me by now then you should know I do that a lot. So here you are, two chapters released at the same time. Hope you guys enjoy.  
**

* * *

**August 20**

* * *

Several Houndoom were sprawled across the newly formed forest clearing, either dead or wounded. Those who weren't conscious had been left alone to recover. Many of the surrounding trees had toppled over, leaving crowns of jagged bark around each stump. Wide trenches traversed the checkered clearings and waves that wouldn't look out of place on a storm-wracked sea were visible in the disturbed earth.

Water collected inside each trench, mixing with the dirt into opaque pools of mud. Leaves were scattered everywhere, clinging wetly to the uneven ground.

In total there had been four battles, each in a different location and with a single Pokémon standing at its epicenter. For all their teamwork and speed, the firedogs were decimated. The rain had weakened all their fire attacks, as well as inhibited their agility on the distorted terrain full of clingy mud.

"Houndoom…come out to plaa-ay," a voice bellowed through the forest. The mocking, cruel voice grated on the ears like gravel being ground up. A series of deep thuds echoed through the rain as the speaker came closer. Soon, the speaker was visible. A Golem. He looked at the defeated Houndoom pack and let loose a deep, vicious laugh. Every footstep sent tremors through the ground. The Houndoom made no move to flee –battered as they were, none of the members had hope of movement.

"Houndoom… come out to plaa-ay", the stone behemoth repeated, bending down to grab the Houndoom lying at his feet. He felt its weak pulse within his hand. The dog feebly flailed in an attempt to get away, but all this did was make the Golem cackle sadistically. The Houndoom's heart rate quickened with every new inch the Golem raised its body, holding it like some demented trophy.

The stone titan wanted to savor the moment, the Houndoom's movements gradually weakening with its pulse. He was just about to tighten his grip around his victim's throat and crush it when an azure blur flitted across his vision.

There were three thuds: the first being Glaceon, the second the gasping Houndoom.

The third was the Golem's arm.

It took a moment for the Golem to realize that he could feel nothing below his elbow. He glanced down at the Houndoom, wriggling away from his severed appendage. There was no blood or pain, only rage. The Megaton Pokémon slowly turned to find Glaceon, sporting an angry glare and a gelid coat of raised quills.

"You little bitch! You cut off my fucking ar-"

The Golem never finished his sentence: Glaceon had aimed her Ice Beam straight into his mouth. Without a single moment of hesitation she ran towards her frozen victim, the fur on her tail slowly hardening and turning a metallic gray. The cuts were swift and clean; it was in the very moment that Glaceon landed when the figure behind her collapsed into mound of slush and stone.

* * *

"Oi! Bitch! I ain't gonna say this again, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" a second Golem roared, Clefable's back still to him. Lying before her was an unconscious Houndoom. Healing was not her expertise – that was Miltank's forte – but it was better than nothing.

"Where'd you come from? Hey, I'm talkin' to you bitch! You tryin' ta heal them… EH? Don't try it 'cause I'll kill ya if you do!"

Clefable's ears twitched in agitation, the insults and intensity of the Golem's voice beginning to grate on her nerves. She closed her eyes and focused, and much to her relief, from what she could tell, the Houndoom around her still carried heartbeats. Her smile was quickly traded for a glower seconds later.

The walking boulder's first mistake was taking a step towards her. Before he advanced any further, Clefable raised one of her paws to the rainy sky.

Without warning, the Golem's feet rapidly sank through the mud until half of him was submerged in it. A translucent lavender dome materialized around him. For all his strength and durability, he could only stand in the mud beneath the crushing force. His every thought was dedicated towards moving out of the dome before the earth itself swallowed him whole. There was only a foot between him and normal gravity when he collapsed onto his stomach, his outstretched arm straining to extend a single finger outside the confines of the crushing force within the dome.

Sections of his stony skin cracked, splintered and flaked off as he was subject to the merciless bombardment of raindrops – each droplet carrying the rock-crushing power of a sledgehammer.

"You…bitch! What the… hell did you do? Stop it …you stupid… fucking… fairy!"

Clefable's paw had started to lower until the Golem spoke again. His words succeeded in making her discard all notions of mercy. The last thing the living stone ever saw of the trained Pokémon was her paw thrusting towards the skies once more.

His entire body shuddered and his gaze fell to his arm, noticing something had punched several holes straight through it.

Clefable did her best to tune out the Golem's screams, waiting for the accelerated raindrops, now akin to bullets, to quickly silence him. The nearby Houndoom who had managed to remain conscious stared at Clefable with reverence, and even a hint of fear.

Not once did she turn around to even glance at her opponent.

* * *

The third Golem's head frantically swiveled in every direction. Fits of disturbed laughter bombarded him from all sides of the forest. He whirled his body around and swung his arm through the rain, having heard someone – or something – giggle directly next to him.

"W-where are you? What d'ya w-want? L-leave now… or… or I'll k-kill you!"

His feeble threats only succeeded in making the cackling voice break into hysterics.

"S-shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!" the Golem roared, right before being blasted in the jaw with a Shadow Ball. The force of the blow, delivered at point-blank range, lifted him off the ground and onto his back. Banette snickered at the sight of his prey, flailing like an overturned Squirtle.

The Golem's head and limbs retracted into his stony hide, but not before his eyes caught sight of Banette drifting directly over him. If his deranged smile and crimson glowing eyes didn't send shivers through the Megaton Pokémon's core, Banette's drenched and dripping ghostly body sure as hell did.

"Awww, why so serious?" Banette cooed sweetly, cautiously tapping his prey's stony hide with a ghostly fist. "I just wanna play."

Without warning the boulder began to spin in place, spraying a thick ring of mud before bursting forward. Banette quickly darted away to dodge the substance, smiling at his own handiwork. "Leaving so soon? Who knew Golem were such cowards?"

Despite the distance, Banette's malicious laughter managed to resonate within the Golem's mind. The spinning sphere of stone stopped, leaving Banette to wonder if his insults had truly gotten through to Golem, or if his Torment had taken effect.

Despite his best attempts, the Golem found it impossible to retract his limbs back into his body and resume his Rollout. What the Golem witnessed upon emerging from his stone shell was a sea of sapphire flames. No heat emanated from the pale fires that encircled the clearing, filling the air with the sound of a thousand hisses. All that stood between him and freedom was a towering wall of flame.

Fire had ceased to be a concern to him after past squabbles with the Houndoom; their fire attacks doing little to no damage to him. Yet, as he stared into the raging inferno before him, something devoured his confidence and stayed his hand only an inch from the wall of Will-O-Wisps.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The frightened Pokémon futilely swung his outstretched arm with all of his strength, swiping away an entire section of raindrops falling behind him. Banette bobbed gently above the ground, his zipper smile stretching nearly to the corners of his eyes.

It was a rather disturbing sight.

"That's my special fire you were about to touch. It burns anything it makes contact with… no matter what it's made of. It only burns what I want it to burn and if I decide to leave it alone, well, it could burn forever. It can't be put out unless I say so, even if it's placed underwater," the ghost said with a smirk.

How much was lies and how much was truths was impossible to tell from Banette's tone. The Golem held his ground, sneaking a brief glance at the oddly cold and silent sapphire flames. They had been burning for nearly a minute now, and no smoke rose from the trees they danced upon. The downpour did little to douse them, a constant sizzle sounding as the rain instantly boiled and evaporated on contact.

"You know…I've never tried burning stone before," Banette said, breaking the eerie hissing of the flames.

Banette had bridged the distance between them instantly, his hands outstretched before the Golem's face and cradling a shivering ball of chaotic shadows that spun in place until it exploded. The stone was rendered airborne once more, briefly parting the flaming barrier before landing on the other side.

The ring of flames that crowned the clearing died instantly at Banette's command as he drifted towards the source of the screams. His Will-O-Wisp spread rapidly over the Golem's body, now writhing and screaming in an anguish not unlike Banette's last victim of the same attack. The azure embers reflected off Banette's crimson stare.

He smiled at the prospect of his newest test subject lasting longer than the Ursaring.

An entire minute passed by, Banette simply watching his test subject thrash beneath his gaze, no end to his suffering in sight. Several times, the pain had rendered the living boulder unconscious, only to have him awake screaming as the flames continued to burn him.

"Oh come on. It doesn't hurt that much, does it?" Banette teased, to which the Golem howled in response, awakening several of the Houndoom scattered across the clearing. Their heads turned to the source of the sound, finding the ghostly ragdoll halfheartedly stifling a fit of giggles.

"Hmm…tell you what, if you ask nicely, I might put out the fire," Banette said with a sadistic grin.

A prolonged scream of agony was all that the twisted marionette got in reply.

"Eh, close enough," the ethereal Pokémon shrugged, raising an arm over his head and snapping his fingers.

The flames abruptly died, but wisps of steam still rose slowly from the blackened stone. Every inch of the Golem was scorched black and some parts of his stony armor glowed a dull red, like open wounds. The hellish flames had crept into the cracks in the Golem's armor and burned him to the core.

"Mmmm…toasty," Banette chuckled as he gently prodded the scorched boulder, strongly reminiscent of a cook checking on his barbecue. The Golem's eyelids fluttered weakly, his entire body momentarily limp before he slowly rolled onto his side, his hot and blackened arm digging into the wet soil.

Banette watched with interest as the stone behemoth dragged himself through the mud. The rain offered no relief to his wounds, every breath of the creature accompanied with a blanket of cold, white pain.

"Now where do you think you're going?" he asked. The Golem's body visibly stiffened, making no attempt to advance further away from Banette lest he unleash a new torture.

"Tell you what. You've been such a good sport, and you lasted longer than the last guy I used this move on. So… I think this calls for a reward!"

Arcs of electricity danced upon the puppet's body, shimmering waves of heat rising off his form. The Golem, unseeing, gave a choke and gurgle in response, two gaping holes all that remained of his eyes. Banette didn't really care about the now blind Golem.

All he cared about was how much of the body would be left once he was done.

"I haven't done this since the contest waiting room in Goldenrod, so I wonder what it will look like now. Think of this as a little experiment, and of the contribution you'll be making… to science."

Black thunderheads bellowed above them, brief white-hot flashes lighting up the entire stormy sky. Banette quickly drifted away as he readied his attack, a steady hum emanating from his now glowing figure. Once the ghost had a few meters of distance, a column of lightning struck, the deafening thunder tearing through the forest.

The Houndoom averted their eyes, the afterimage of Banette's body eclipsing the incandescent column of light playing behind their closed lids. For the injured canines, who had senses of hearing and smell already high caliber even before enhancement, the effects of the blast were particularly painful.

The smell of ozone abruptly filled the air. The earth beneath their paws shook as they endured the spray of rain and mud. The sensory overload was no different than if they had run headfirst into a brick wall at full speed. Gradually, the ringing in their ears faded and the purple spots cleared from their vision, and they could take notice of their surroundings.

Blackened and smoldering trees curved around the blast as if to contain it; newly born tektites produced by the apocalyptic Thunder joined the pouring rain in bombarding the clearing. Where there once was a defeated, pitiful Golem, there was a blossom of scorched earth and a smoldering crater. Stone and glass fragments had torn through the surrounding tree trunks like canister shot.

As far as Banette could tell, there was no evidence that the Golem he had been torturing ever existed. "I'll admit this wasn't so much for science as it was for shits and giggles," he said to no one in particular. His zipper smile stretched even wider, and he finally burst out in demented giggles.

The audible mirth sent chills through the Houndoom, the warmth of their bodies stolen by the sheer sound of his elation. Regrets nagged at the back of his thoughts like a tumor, not at what he had done but at how he could have extended the fun he'd had if he had only taken things more slowly.

"Well, maybe if I'm lucky his friends will probably still be alive. I'll have to move quickly if I want a piece of the fun. Hopefully the others haven't already wiped them out," Banette said to himself. He turned around to find that he was not alone.

The Houndoom flinched as he turned.

He couldn't help but despair at the fact that he hadn't noticed the Pokémon's existence throughout the entire affair. He had been so caught up in tormenting the Golem that nothing else in the world had mattered. If nothing else, this thought scared him, and as he stared back at the Houndoom, he realized he was not the only one afraid.

For all his desire to help the Houndoom in their time of need; for all the anger he had displayed before the others in their hesitancy to aid them; none of it lasted a second before his twisted sense of amusement. He was no longer an ally of the Houndoom; he was just a sadist who happened to be fighting the Golem.

What could he possibly tell them? After what they had witnessed, nothing he could say would justify what he had done. Aside from his own pleasure, there was no reason to drag on the "battle" – if one could call it that. He had already demonstrated that he could've ended the battle from the beginning with his Thunder - with the rain, there was no excuse for him to miss.

Without a word, Banette rushed past them before he could make himself look any worse that he already had.

* * *

The final Golem gazed off into the distance with interest, feeling the earth's tiny shudders beneath his feet as the column of lighting descended in the distance.

"Hey, I ain't finished with you yet!" Blaziken roared, ignoring the ensuing thunder. The Golem held his pose, looking at the trained Pokémon as he would a pest.

"Didn't know your pack was in the company of such interesting Pokémon. Makes me wonder why you're fighting so hard for that cave," the Golem turned fully to face Alpha, currently struggling visibly just to stand.

Scattered around the Golem was the remainder of his pack. Blaziken stepped forward, gauging from a distance where he could strike the Golem to cause the most damage. The rain made it pointless to ignite the flames on his wrists or use any of his fire moves, and even if he could, he wasn't going to try and use an element that never worked well on rock to begin with.

_"I'll take it from here. Get yourself and what's left of your pack out of here. I can't promise their safety," _He had said to the Alpha.

Echoes of Nidoqueen's last words to him rang through his thoughts, making him realize how his own words mirrored so much of hers.

'_Right before we lost her,'_ Blaziken thought darkly, banishing the thought immediately. This was the battlefield; there was no room for thoughts of anything else but combat unless he wanted to get himself killed.

Before Alpha could even begin to formulate a rebuttal, Blaziken burst forward. The streak of crimson faded as the distance between Megaton and Blaze Pokémon was shortened in an instant. The resounding shockwave spared the combatants of the rain for an instant before it relentlessly poured over them once more.

Blaziken realized instantly the difference in strength, his knuckle pressed against the Golem's stony jaw. Its head hadn't budged an inch. The Golem's eye lazily landed on Blaziken with the same disinterested look in his eyes. The starter's blood ran cold. He had put every ounce of strength into that punch, only to find that it hadn't even fazed his opponent. The more he willed his arm to lift the Golem's head a single centimeter, the more Blaziken realized he would've had an easier time trying to push a mountain.

He launched himself away, leaving two plow marks as he slid back through the mud. The rock juggernaut's outstretched arm lowered back to his side; at the same time, the jagged stones that previously ringed him fell to the ground. Blaziken clutched his chest, wincing from the sting when he applied pressure to the wound just below his heart.

'_This guy isn't kidding around,'_ he thought as he saw the hand he had lifted off the wound where the Stone Edge attack had grazed him, disheartened by his crimson stained claw. He did his best to make a fist, only to find his fingers unable to bend all the way. Upon closer inspection, he noticed how his hand was already starting to swell and bruise; the adrenaline that coursed through his veins had numbed the pain of his broken hand, and so he hadn't felt the injury.

"Be careful, he's very powerful," Alpha barked, to which Blaziken fought down the urge to reply _"__No shit!"_

'_My arms aren't going to cut it this time,'_ Blaziken concluded, standing at full height and vanishing before the others' eyes. The stone goliath was slow to react, his compensation coming in the form of his thick solid stone armor.

Blaziken ran up the side of the Golem's rotund body and lifted his right knee until it was pressed against his chest. In a blur of movement his foot plunged through the space between it and the Golem's head. Alpha watched Blaziken form a mixture of a wince and a pleased leer when he took note that now the Golem's head had given leeway.

The Golem's arms stabbed through the air above his head, only to find his target already gone. Blaziken had already kicked off the stony hide, both attacks feeling no different that if he had kicked solid concrete. Something of a smile formed along the bends of his beak as he watched the Golem's stubby arms reach futilely for the spot above his head that he would never physically reach.

With his arms up in the air, everything from his face downward was free game for an open assault, an opportunity Blaziken was only too willing to take. Alpha had difficulty following any of Blaziken's kicks, the flurry of blows appearing more to him like a shimmering crimson fan. The Golem's body gave the slightest of trembles with every strike that peppered his body, its body shifting back a full centimeter - if only because of the mud's poor traction.

The blows were light but fast, meant only to knock the Golem off balance. Blaziken switched legs, aiming the kicks for the space between the rock behemoth's head and his arms. The look on the Golem's face was something along the lines of irritation. He felt content to return the feeling; even steel walls hadn't given him this much trouble. Throughout the assault the Golem made no attempt to strike back, his rotund body glowing bright for a moment before dimming out to reveal a polished stone surface.

The end to the barrage came as an axe kick to the Golem's stony skull, the attack seemingly doing more damage to Blaziken than to his opponent. With a certain degree of grace, Blaziken arched his back and slammed his other foot into the Golem's jaw with enough force to lift his head towards the sky. With his single working arm, Blaziken propelled himself to the spot beside Alpha.

He gave the Houndoom a sidelong glance, surprised to find eyes of admiration looking back at him. He didn't see why, for all the blows he had dealt he had come no closer to denting his opponent's tectonic shell. Alpha's eyes landed on Blaziken's wounded arm, pinned to his chest to avoid further damage.

"Are you all right?" Alpha asked.

"Yeah… yeah, I'll be fine. But it looks like he's fine too," Blaziken replied, briefly pointing at the Golem. The pack leader's eyes widened as the Golem's arms crossed over his chest.

"You have to stop him now before it's too late!"

Blaziken rushed at the Golem at breakneck speeds without question, stopping just beside the stone titan before hopping into the air. He reeled his leg in and spun through the air before launching the full force kick to the side of the Golem's head. Just on the opposite side of the Golem's skull was Banette, his fist pressed against the Golem's stone cranium.

Banette had arrived on the scene the moment Blaziken had finished showing off his fancy footwork. The sadistic marionette wanted nothing more than to end the battle quickly as possible with another Thunder attack, but several variables now stood in his way. Aside from the challenge of alerting Blaziken of his plan without the Golem noticing, the amount of time it took for him to prepare a Thunder attack was longer than he remembered. The warm up would give ample opportunity for the Golem to recognize his presence and make sure the attack didn't go off.

To top it off, Blaziken's insistence on fighting in close proximity to the other creature dashed any hopes of an electric sneak attack, lest Blaziken and the surrounding unconscious Houndoom scattered around the clearing be caught in the blast.

If the Golem felt the blows to his head, he didn't show it. In a blinding display of speed, he retaliated, thrusting his arms out to his sides, never once making contact with Blaziken or Banette. The shockwave that erupted from the Golem's core abruptly expanded in every direction.

* * *

From a distance, Clefable watched the rain confront a dome of force that extended past what she imagined was another battle with the living boulder's friends. The approaching rumble and the tremors beneath her feet quickly brought her eyes to focus on the wave of mud and mulch that surged towards her. Clefable's arms thrust out to cast a Light Screen, only to watch it being instantly crushed and devoured by the encroaching landslide.

Five quick airborne Light Screens later, Clefable gawked at what she could only imagine was the Golem's attack tear through the forest beneath her. Whatever the attack was, it originated in the center of the ripples that had formed along the land. Not far from her was Glaceon, standing atop a similar glowing platform.

* * *

Blaziken's body tumbled across the tattered remains of the forest like a rag doll, finding the prospect of stopping rather difficult when his concept of what was up and what was down changed every second. Banette fared no better; the ghostly marionette spun through the air before the force of the blow embedded him into one of the trees just outside the attack's range.

The endeavor of getting up with only the use of his left arm and right leg proved difficult for Blaziken. Once he stood, it took everything he had just to remain standing. His breathing was ragged; his feathers were soaked in a mixture of blood and mud. The pouring rain was not helping; water absorbed into his feathers just added to the weight he carried. As he stood, all his weight had been pushed into his right leg.

He was done. He knew the fight was over for him the instant he found the pain of putting any sort of weight on his left leg unbearable. Blaziken would've preferred if both his arms had been broken instead of his leg. He felt as though the bones in his leg been ripped out, ground into dust and poured back into the wound once a train had finished running over his leg. His only option for mobility now lay in hopping, the very thought extremely demoralizing.

* * *

Banette's eyes flickered open, his vision blurred as he struggled to focus and the simple act of forming a single coherent thought proved harder than he expected. His fist throbbed with pain; sucker-punching a Pokemon with the solidity of a mountain was added to his quickly growing list of activities to never repeat in the future.

He sucked in a few breaths and fought through the disorientation and pain until his sight returned gradually; allowing him to stare at what had once been a clearing. The Golem's arms were still extended outwards, eventually bringing them down to his sides, his head just barely rising past the outer edge of the crater before it leveled off with the rest of the forest.

'_So that is Earthquake,'_ he thought, eyeing the crater that had easily swallowed the entire clearing. There were no signs of the Houndoom; Banette could only imagine the force of the attack had killed the remnants of the pack and buried them several feet under. Blaziken was nowhere to be seen as well, but Banette doubted an attack, even of this caliber, would've killed a Pokémon that tough. He hadn't expected this Golem to give them so much trouble, compared to the one he fought - he might as well have been fighting a newborn.

The more he stared at the Golem, the more he noticed the actual differences between the one he had fought and the one before him. His first victim had lacked experience, something that this Golem clearly had no shortage of in the years he had lived. Not only that, but his newest opponent's shell was larger, thicker, and heavier.

Banette felt the tree loosen its hold over him with every step the Golem took, slowly making his way out of the crater and towards the cave where the others were. Even with the advantage of the rain and being water types, Banette doubted Wartortle, Miltank, and Octillery could handle an Earthquake attack of this magnitude. Worse yet, if the attack did hit the cave, Harley and the others would surely be buried beneath the debris.

Cacturne would be out of commission for at least a full day. He tried not to let it show but having known him for as long he did, Banette knew when his teammate was tired. He had gone past his limits, exhausting every attack in his repertoire against the Ursaring. It was a marvel that he could still stand, let alone stay up the entire night to speak to the alpha Houndoom. Were they to wake him now, he would be no more useful in this fight than Harley. All he could do was stall for time and hope that help would come.

"Hey! We're not done here! I can still fight!" he yelled hoarsely, his words fell on deaf ears as the Golem made his way in the direction of the cave.

"I know you don't have ears, but I didn't think you are deaf! What? You ain't got the stones to finish me off? Don't you speak? Can you even understand what I'm saying? Maybe you're too stupid to know words, bet your parents dropped your egg a few times before you hatched! Wouldn't surprise me! Besides, with such a tiny head your brain must be the size of a pebble!"

The ethereal puppet kept shouting between pants, but again, the Golem paid him no attention, or even bothered to acknowledge his existence.

'_Damn, this isn't working! Gotta slow him down somehow,'_ Banette thought. At that moment, his mind lit up like a lamp with something that would get through his enemy's thick and stony skin.

"Not gonna lie, you're a lot tougher than the other Golem I just killed," Banette coughed out, a tiny smile forming on his metallic lips when the Golem stopped. "I mean you should've seen 'em, crying and begging for his life. It was pathetic. Sure, I set him on fire, but that's no excuse, right?" Banette began laughing, now with more confidence, as the Golem stopped in his tracks and lumbered towards the marionette.

"I mean I didn't even have to blow him up into smithereens, I guess I just did it to prove a point… Or for the laughs… yeah… yeah, probably more for the laughs."

The Golem now stood a few feet from him, fists shaking with rage as the giggling Pokémon broke into hysterics for the umpteenth time that day.

"I'm gonna enjoy this a lot more than I should," Banette heard the Golem rumble, rearing his arm back to strike.

Something caught the Golem's attention, though, ending his attack before it had even begun. Raindrops crystallized around Glaceon's Ice Beam, missing its target by an inch, skewering into the nearest tree and freezing it from the roots up. Seven hundred pounds of stone flew into the cover of the woods, reducing everything in his path into clouds of splinters.

Banette's laughter died, using his last bit of strength to dislodge himself from the tree, realizing a bit too late that he had nothing in him left to keep himself aloft. Tender hands caught him before he hit the ground. Those same hands supported his wet head while the rest of his body was gently laid on the ground.

"You're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid," Clefable commented softly.

"Crazy works too," Banette added with a cough, the feathered tips of darkness beginning to work its way into the edges of his vision.

"Where's Blaziken?" the ice Eeveelution inquired once she was within earshot, her eyes darting from tree to tree.

"No clue," Banette replied with a gentle hiss, unfazed by the darkness that coagulated across his vision, effectively blinding him. Clefable noticed the marionette's eyelids starting to flutter close and turned to the Fresh Snow Pokémon behind her.

"We need to get him to Miltank!" she yelled, her heart rate quickening when she turned to look at him, his eyes now closed. "Banette? Banette!"

The phantasm puppet groaned in pain. "Don't bother, I'm done."

"No, don't talk like that! Stay with me, Banette! Stay with me! We're not losing you too! Don't close your eyes, help is coming soon, help is co-" Clefable yelled, her frantic voice beginning to quiver until it eventually cracked.

Glaceon's face twisted in anguish as she looked away; stray tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes hardened and froze like the countless raindrops that peppered her from above. She hadn't known Banette long, but it hadn't taken long for him to become part of their team. She had endured dozens – no, hundreds – of his tasteless jokes in attempts to cheer them up. Admittedly, she had giggled softly at a few of them.

Glaceon could only imagine what his death would mean, not only to Harley, Cacturne, and Octillery, but also to their group. His passing would be, in essence, the death of their humor. As dark as it was, it was still humor and with his antics he had managed to lift their spirits in the bleak and dismal world they had been thrust into. Aside from him, no one had bothered to try and make jokes or laugh in spite of their situation. Their world could only darken in his absence.

"Tell Harley, the Houndoom, and the others…" Banette's only working arm lifted up, blindly searching for Clefable's face until she caught his hand with her free paw, guiding it to her cheek. "Tell them… I'm sorry. At least… I got one in, right? At least I got the last laugh."

The pink Pokémon tearfully nodded against his palm.

What little strength his arm held dissipated completely, Clefable felt it go limp beneath her touch, and watched his slackened arm slip from her wet paw and hit the mud with a tiny thud and splash.

Unlike the other Pokémon in their group, Banette had no heartbeat – there was no heart to beat. There was no weakening pulse that she could listen to, no rhythm to follow until it stopped entirely and let her know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was dead. There was only silence; there had always been silence, silence he had filled with his laughter as compensation.

Never before had the void of sound that surrounded them become so suffocating and painful.

Clefable had found him earlier by catching his voice through the downpour, feebly flinging taunts at his attack until he had gotten the reaction he'd wanted. The Golem's earlier attack had crippled and broken him, but for all the damage he'd sustained, it hadn't touched his spirit. It wasn't that the living toy was fearless; it was simply his refusal to allow something like fear to stop him from laughing. He had ignored all the pain and laughed in the face of the very one who'd beaten him to a pulp and proved that he was several times stronger than him. The promise of death could not silence or tame his spirit; its only weakness was the fragility of its vessel.

Glaceon forced herself to look, finding Clefable's face darkening, her body visibly trembling, and her once gentle paw now curled into a white-knuckled fist. Banette's head was slowly lowered to the ground, a single characteristic having stood out to both of them.

It was so simple, but so perfect in encompassing everything that he stood for, exemplifying everything that he had been: stretched across his face was his golden zipper mouth, curved into a wide and satisfied Cheshire grin.

* * *

Clefable's cries might as well having been underwater for how muffled they were to his ears. No longer could he feel the raindrops on his face or the pain that had once wracked his entire body. Frigid darkness pooled in from all sides, filling him to the brim as he drowned in it. The mind-numbing pain he had felt now vanished, making room for the cold that chilled him to the core. Exhaustion was settling in fast; Clefable's voice all but silenced and cast into oblivion.

Banette had fainted before, but always felt as though consciousness came to him the instant everything darkened. It often surprised him how much time could elapse from one second to the next. Yet this sensation was a novelty to him, something that he couldn't entirely fight off.

A tiny speck of light twinkled in the distance, and unless Banette was seeing things, it was slowly growing.

"Not gonna lie, this kinda sucks. There was a ton of things I wanted to do, Pokémon I wanted to tease and make fun of…" his voice trailed off with a sigh. He suddenly felt out of touch with his body, almost as if he were watching it from the sidelines. "Can't say I didn't live a good life. Wish I could've said bye to Harley and Cacturne though… Hope they won't take it too hard. Hope the others can manage against the Golem without me. They're tough; they'll still be tough even with me not there. They probably won't even miss me," he concluded with a forced chuckle, knowing that he could not lie to himself about the pain that gnawed at him from inside.

"No time for waterworks," he said to himself, wiping a rare tear from the corner of his eye. The light in the distance had grown exponentially, pushing back the darkness until it controlled half the world he floated in.

"Man…why am I so tired? I can barely think straight," a wave of relief came over him, ushering him to relax and let go. Of what he was to let go, he wasn't sure, but he knew that meant letting go of everything. Banette could barely fight the sensation, and yet part of him didn't want to. It wasn't long until he realized this was a battle he could not win; the final move would have to be his. All he needed to do was accept it and relent.

"So this is it huh?" He spoke into the void, feeling more fatigue than he had ever remembered experiencing in all the years of his life combined. "I guess this is how everyone feels… when they fall asleep. I guess it's not too bad… I could get used to this. I wonder if… I'll finally… get to… dream?"

* * *

**Dying is easy, Comedy is hard.**


	9. The Avengers

**Once again I want to thank Jakayrta and REV6Pilot for their work on this chapter.**

* * *

Blaziken howled to the rain, writhing like a Caterpie in agony on the mud. Once the mind-numbing pain had subsided he knew he couldn't blame anyone but himself.

"That's what I get for trying to hop," he groaned, turning onto his back to free his broken hand from underneath him. The mud stung his eyes; his hopes now lay with the merciful rain being kind enough to wash it from his face.

'_I need to help the others; I have to stop the Golem. I can't let him get to May,'_ Blaziken recited mentally, using his unwounded limbs to pull and drag himself through the mud, hoping he was doing it in the general direction of the battle. Doubts plagued his thoughts and eventually stayed his hand; it wasn't long before he felt that his efforts were utterly futile.

Even if by some miracle he did make it to his desired destination, he would be nothing but a hindrance, a liability. Having reached his fully evolved form, Blaziken never thought he would be a burden again. He had thought his strength would be enough to get them out of any situation.

'_But that was only enough strength for competing in Pokémon contests,'_ Blaziken thought bitterly before he sensed a new presence approach him. From where he lay, there was no way of telling if it was friend or foe.

'_If it's that Golem coming to finish the job, then I'm done,'_ the battered Blaze Pokémon brooded, only to be pleasantly surprised to find Alpha looking over at him. The pack leader collapsed into the mud, their eyes now at level with each other.

"I am not acquainted with the Pokémon of your region, but I believe Cacturne and Banette referred to you as Blaziken," the Houndoom said.

"Yeah, that's me. Sorry, I can't get up. I couldn't keep fighting if I tried. The others will just have to take over from here. I'm sure they can stop that thing. Hopefully, I softened him up a bit for them," Blaziken grunted.

"Worry not, friend. It is understandable, he is a formidable enemy. This was not my first encounter with him. We've battled over territory countless times, although the casualties had never been this high. It is a wonder we were able to push them back the times that we did."

"Why do they want that cave if you don't mind me asking?"

"It may hold some sentimental value; it may have once been their home, their birthplace, or nesting grounds. I might have known long ago but my memory fails me now. We continue fighting them for this area because they have shown no intention of stopping once they've taken this it. They would drive us out of the entire woods if they could."

"Did anyone else in your pack make it out of his attack like you did?"

Alpha moved his head to the side and then returned his gaze to the Blaze Pokémon. "I'm not sure. The rain makes it difficult to hear much of anything and it is throwing off my sense of smell. If any of them were caught in the blast, I doubt they would have survived."

Silence and rain took place of conversation, the inflated seconds passing excruciatingly slowly.

"Do you have anything we could use against them? Maybe some potions that you stole from the human town nearby? I doubt food would help me much right now, but berries can pack a pretty big punch if you know the right ones to eat," Blaziken asked.

"I'm afraid not," Alpha replied back sullenly.

"Then I guess there's nothing I can do," Blaziken grumbled, slamming his unwounded fist into the mud.

At that moment, with some difficulty, but much determination, Alpha rose to his feet. "Then I shall fight in your stead."

* * *

Clefable knew she could only procure three more Gravity columns before she would have to sleep and replenish her strength. _I'll have to make them count.'_ Her eyes were closed, her mind focusing on the smallest sound that wasn't rain.

"Hear anything?" Glaceon asked impatiently, fruitlessly sweeping the surrounding forest with her eyes.

Clefable held out her paw to silence her, and Glaceon realized that vocalizing her questions would only make it harder to search. The ice Eeveelution considered turning the driving rain into hail, but thought against it. Although hail, combined with her Snow Cloak ability granted her enhanced speed and reflexes, the cost of potentially injuring her own allies was not worth it.

It came without warning, Clefable acting before she actually spoke, placing a five-layered Light Screen barrier before her.

"He's comi-" was all she managed when the wrecking ball that was their foe smashed through her barriers as if they were no stronger than wet paper. A fist of stone embedded itself into her gut, her body doubled over his arm before being launched through the forest, crashing through several trees in the process.

Glaceon had only wheeled around in time to catch a brief look at their attacker before she felt his stone knuckle press against her jaw and lift her off the ground. No longer did his rotund body consist of a mishmash of scales, the stone hide now an immaculate sphere, save for the holes that allowed him to extend and retract his head and limbs.

There had been no time to react and it was almost impossible to follow his movements. It baffled her how something so large and heavy, so naturally slow, could move as fast as it was doing now. The sheer force of his blow formed a pocket in the earth below them, a ring of dust rising around the walking meteor. Glaceon wheeled through the air, heart pounding against her chest when what she saw beneath her was a checkered forest.

A tiny section beneath the Golem's body, marking where a stone plate once resided, began to glow white-hot. Golem were able to detonate parts of their bodies, using the explosion to launch them over long distances, normally from one mountain to another. With their thick shells of stone, the blast barely damaged them. Within a year, he would shed his rock hide and grow larger, the missing section on his body no longer being a problem.

If the stone turtle's unnatural speed bothered Glaceon, then his ability to pursue her into the skies above the forest frightened her beyond belief. The blast shook the surrounding trees to pieces as he skyrocketed against the rain, leaving a crater beneath him in his wake.

'_Wait, this is perfect! As fast as he is, he can't dodge in mid air,'_ Glaceon thought. Acting quickly on that advantage, she opened her mouth and fired another Ice Beam. The Golem shifted his arm to shield his face, instantaneously losing all feeling in the limb. Shards of ice blossomed along his stone forearm, the numbing sensation rapidly traveling to the rest of his rain-soaked body. The rain around Glaceon's attack froze into needles of ice, but those were mere pinpricks and did nothing against the rock surface.

The juggernaut bridged the distance faster than Glaceon had anticipated, her reflection now staring back at her from the Golem's frozen arm. Without hesitation the Golem slammed his fist through his own frozen limb and shattered it before the ice could spread to the rest of his body. Slush and stone sprayed over Glaceon's face, barely allowing her to arc her head to the side in time to dodge the Golem's stone fist, managing to only graze her cheek.

Glaceon's quills barely scratched the surface of the Golem's hand as the airborne boulder backhanded her out of the sky. Her azure body skimmed across the surface of the sea of leaves, shooting through a web of branches and into the ground. Several plumes of earth rose in a straight line, and the Golem allowed himself a smile of contentment with the thought that he had put enough force into the blow to make sure she didn't get up for a long time.

'_Bitch cost me an arm; there's no way I can grow it back,'_ the Golem muttered, feeling the hands of gravity pulling him back down to the earth. _'__Once I've got what I want, I'll make sure she pays for that little stunt. She'll be begging for death before the sun comes up, and I might just be inclined to deliver it once I've had my fun.'_

It was only once Glaceon was out of range that a purple dome materialized above the Golem's body. From a distance, Clefable's arm extended towards the dark speck beneath the stormy skies, her other arm wrapped around her midsection, a large, sickly-colored bruise peeking just above it, marking where the blow had connected. It was with a bit of satisfaction that she watched the distant boulder plummet to the ground. She felt the ground shake beneath her toes, hoping the collision had buried him deep enough as she added a new layer of gravity.

The trees billowed as another explosion rocked the forest, and Clefable's expression morphed from confidence to anxiety.

Large trees snapped as if they were no thicker than toothpicks, a sound Clefable could hear growing louder and closer. The fairy refused to be caught off guard again, unleashing another Gravity dome as soon as she saw her target.

Despite her pinpoint accuracy, the Golem instantaneously sidestepped out of the attack's range with no loss in his speed.

Clefable was quickly running out of options, only a single Gravity attack left on her reserves. She picked one plan from the jumbled assortment running through her head and burst towards the Golem at full speed, knowing full well that she was gambling with her life. She took to the air; her arm reared back and fist glowing white, noticing her attacker's left arm was now nothing more than a frozen stub.

The Golem stopped just beneath her, his remaining arm reared back to strike as well. A Gravity dome suddenly manifested above her, and the force of the suddenly intensified gravity took the Golem off guard, slowing down his strike. Clefable winced as she entered the dome's field; the intense gravity had turned the raindrops into hard spheres that felt like gravel against her skin.

'_That little bitch used herself as bait!__'_ the Golem figured, growling through gritted teeth.

Clefable swung her arm down, a metallic sheen coating her fist as she used Meteor Mash within the gravity field, effectively doubling the weight of the blow. A satisfying _crunch_ resounded through the forest when her iron fist slammed into the Golem's skull, his feet sinking an inch or two into the mud before the rest of his body collapsed to the ground.

The magnified gravity faded into normalcy as Clefable rolled away from the boulder, now half embedded into the earth. Cries pierced through the drone of the rain as the exhausted fairy clutched her arm by the wrist, her fractured hand throbbing incessantly. What would have taken once in the presence of the moon took three attempts as the Pokémon used Moonlight, relieved to feel the pain subside somewhat. The bruises around her midsection and back disappeared, leaving only fatigue behind.

"That… was for… Banette!" she cried between pants, hoping that with time the others would come and find them.

The sound of her own heartbeat rang in her ears, a welcome replacement to the drone of the rain. Eventually her heart rate slowed, leaving nothing to mask the sound of something rumbling beside her.

"Well that was cute, but I think it's my turn now."

Clefable froze where she lay, ice now running through her veins. The Golem's shadow loomed over her, several cracks snaking along the length of his face. Stone lips curved into a deadly grin, the sight of his next victim's skin going from pink to white fun to watch.

She felt the blood drain from her face, unable to understand why this was happening, why after everyone had fallen, everything they had done, he was still standing. She had no will or strength left to dodge the upcoming blow.

Even if she did, he was still faster than her.

* * *

Roserade had checked several clearings, finding the last surviving members of the Houndoom pack among their dead siblings. At each site she asked the same question, each time receiving the same answer. It seemed as though each Pokémon in their collaborative group had taken out their respective opponent with minimal difficulty.

That was until she heard the explosions, the subtle shudder of the earth beneath her feet. She followed the source of the sounds and signs of battle, only to find the scene already deserted and the battle shifted to another section of the forest. The wild Murkrow chase was wearing Roserade's patience thin, only adding to her growing anger. It had started off as mild irritation from Banette's antics, and eventually boiled into fury at the blatant misguided sense of trust the group had placed on the Houndoom.

With each site she visited, the more her anger faltered. The casualties had been steep for the Houndoom; too steep for any Pokémon that simply wished to devour them and their trainers. Part of her had tried to justify it, rationalize that she was still right, but after some time, against the nearly insurmountable amount of evidence, it silenced.

Banette was the first body she had come across, a memory she would come to regret for the years to come. At first she had simply thought he had fainted, but as she drew closer, something about him was off. Beneath the gray wet rags that made up his body was something mangled and deformed. The realization finally hit her, and she knew it was worse then merely fainting.

It did not surprise her that he had no pulse; she had never seen him bleed, because, really, how could a doll bleed without having any blood? Yet, in all the times she had suffered through his laughter, she had noticed that Banette was still bound to one natural function: after every heavy fit of laughter, she had watched him try and catch his breath.

Seconds passed without the slightest hint of movement from his chest. As much as she disliked him, as much as he had annoyed her, to see him lying there hit her harder than she had ever expected.

An hour's time hadn't even elapsed since she had last seen him flying around, so full of life and laughter. Whatever they had fought had taken that from him, had taken the heart of their group's laughter and ripped it out of their chest, holding it for them to see. Roserade's eyes burned. She knew she could not dismiss the moisture that traversed her leafy cheek as rain. Her last words to him had been angry; the worst part of it was that he had been right about the Houndoom after all.

The sound of his laughter would simply have to stay with her as long as she remembered it. Time would only make it hazier and hazier, to the point where she would forget what it ever sounded like. His last moments with her had been angry ones, and now there was no way for her to apologize. A distant explosion reminded her of where she was, and that the time to grieve would have to come later. Once she found those responsible, she would make them pay for doing what they had done.

When she came across Blaziken's unconscious body, fear took vengefulness' place in her heart, along with everything else. She knelt down and felt his pulse, relieved to find him still alive. Whatever they were fighting was a powerful opponent, enough to take out the strongest of their group.

Like at Banette's resting site, she left a rose behind as a marker, hoping the scent would carry through the rain or at least linger through it so that she could find them again. The Bouquet Pokemon found herself breaking into a sprint once she spotted a frozen trench of mud carved across the ground. At its end she found Glaceon, unconscious but thankfully bearing a minimal amount of wounds.

As if fate had deemed it necessary to taunt her, another blast tore through the forest, the wind ripping through the branches and leaves. Roserade moved with purpose, putting every bit of her strength into her speed.

She could not let Clefable be the next one to fall. She refused to let another one from their group die.

* * *

Golem's fingers had straightened out. No longer would he show any acts of mercy like the punch he had hit her with earlier. That Glaceon had denied him the enjoyment of skewering through the Banette's body, ending that life with his own hands. Although not as satisfying, the fairy's plump corpse would have to suffice for now.

The attack that struck him from the side of his head was fast and powerful, enough to knock him off his feet and into the air. Clefable didn't so much as hear the attack as she felt the impact, eyes opening to see the alpha Houndoom standing over her in place of the Golem. From a single look the fairy could tell the hellhound had seen better days, a little worse for wear from signs of an earlier battle, no doubt with their current opponent. The Golem's spherical body rolled through the dirt, denting it for a full meter before stopping.

"You guys just keep coming out of nowhere, don't you? No matter, I'll just add you to the list of victims," the Golem growled.

"I refuse to let you take another life! This ends here!" the Alpha shouted, poised to charge at a moment's notice.

"There's not much left to take. I'm sure my brothers wiped out whatever was left of your pack before they died. Now all that's left is the two of you and possibly any other unnecessary intrusions."

"My pack is strong. You may have taken many of us, but not all of us are gone, and you will not take another! I will show you their strength, for I carry it on my back! **I will defeat you for those that have fallen**!" Alpha roared. Clefable rubbed her eyes, wondering if exhaustion had finally claimed her sanity. Around twenty-one figures materialized along the ground behind the Alpha, darkness giving in to the shape of the other Houndoom.

"**THIS IS THE STRENGTH OF MY PACK**!"

Alpha surged forward, slamming his horned head into the Golem's chest. The sheer force of the blow lifted the Golem off the ground, a visible wave of dust rippling from the point of impact. Alpha swung his head up and leapt, slamming his horns into his enemy's jaw. Clefable could hear cracking, and assumed the rifts from the blow she'd dealt earlier began to widen. The Golem's body had yet to even touch the ground when the Alpha struck again, bursting suddenly to the left of the Golem to deal another blow, this time to the side of his head, exactly where Blaziken's kick had connected.

Cracks began forming along the Houndoom's horns, and the Golem's eye burst. The Alpha's assault was relentless, never once letting his territorial nemesis so much as act in retaliation. Clefable was not the only one surprised by the wild Pokémon's sudden strength and tenacity. The Houndoom's long time territory rival could only stare in bewilderment with his remaining eye as blow after blow left the once polished surface of his stone hide marred with faulty lines.

With a team dependent species like Houndoom, Beat Up proved to be the most effective move for them – and after seeing the results, Clefable could understand why. The one using the move could attack for every conscious Pokémon considered to be part of the user's team. Normally a Pokémon owned by a trainer could attack up to six times only, but as it was, the count for the Houndoom pack could reach up to at least forty strikes. The amount of times Alpha struck the Golem came as a relief, as it let him know that just over half of his pack was still breathing somewhere within the forest. There was a downside to using the attack, though: it left the user utterly exhausted.

Clefable scrambled to her feet, mentally chastising herself for simply laying back and watching the Houndoom fight before her while she did nothing. Alpha's gasps for breath, dazed stare, and teetering body forced the fairy to rush to his side lest his wobbling legs give out beneath him. They leaned into each other, barely able to keep upright.

Standing a mere few feet before them was the Golem, his arm instinctively reaching to where his left eye had once been. Cracks, scratches and holes from where Alpha had bitten and scratched him covered the full length of his last remaining arm. Surprise towards his foe's strength finally gave way to anger. His open palm curled into a fist with an audible _crunch_.

Aside from stealing half of his sight, Alpha had succeeding in stealing the unnatural speed off the rock turtle. In the cover of the woods he had repeatedly used Rock Polish, increasing his speed, reflexes, and reaction times at least tenfold. As long as his body remained smooth, his boost in speed would stay. The countless battle scars his body had sustained in just the last minute alone had reduced him back to his original speed, which wasn't much to begin with. Another session of uninterrupted meditation would be needed to get up to speed. It was a liberty he no longer had.

"I'm gonna make you pay for taking my eye," the Golem growled.

"What does… it take… to kill you?" the Alpha wheezed, dizzy and aching from fatigue and the obvious self harm of repeatedly slamming his head and body against a solid boulder.

"I could say the same for you, your pack, and little group of helpers. I guess this is the consequence of letting this fight drag on for so long. What do you say: should I end this charade right now with another Earthquake?"

"You're bluffing. You're missing your right arm. You can't pull that off anymore."

A deep laugh resonated through the forest. Clefable found herself visibly shivering, shocked to find that there was something more chilling than Banette's fits of sadistic and maniacal laughter. The Golem's mirth lasted only a minute before he calmed down and smiled at them, several stone teeth now missing.

"Ah, that was a good laugh. You see, I don't need both arms to use that attack, I don't need any arms at all. I could use my feet to get the job done," he explained, lifting his leg into the air in preparation for the initial stomp.

"That's good to know," a voice said from behind him.

Whatever fear had taken residence in Clefable and Alpha's heart disintegrated with a soothing scent that wafted through the area. The fairy felt the tempo of her heartbeat begin to slow, her body relaxing of its own accord. The Golem's legs and remaining arm were minced into sand by Roserade's tremendously effective Magical Leaf, his rotund body hitting the ground with a loud _thud_.

A vortex of petals descended over the limbless boulder, Roserade's anger saturating the air around her as she spun in place in a Petal Dance.

'_To think this could've all been averted, to think Banette would've lived had I found them sooner. It would've been so easy, no one would've gotten hurt,'_ the Pokémon fumed silently, making sure she reduced the Golem to dust as slowly as possible. She hoped he could feel pain, hoped every second spent within her cyclone of petals brought more suffering than the previous second.

But one thing derailed that train of thought.

"If I can't have this land, THEN NONE OF YOU WILL!" the Golem bellowed madly through the pink tornado, now illuminated from within with a white light.

Clefable reacted quickly, using the last of her remaining Light Screens and forming a dome over the pink twister. Alpha surged towards Roserade, who was just beginning to actually realize what the Golem was doing. She looped her arm around the Houndoom's neck right as he passed her, swinging herself onto his back as he made a turn around the fairy's neon coliseum. Clefable grabbed Roserade's bouquet, letting herself be pulled through the air as they ran.

* * *

Octillery could only imagine what was happening in the forest. He had seen several purple columns descend from the skies before they vanished from existence just as quickly as they had appeared. Following that came plumes of earth, a giant bolt of lightning, and more shudders beneath his tentacles than he could count. He could only hope the battle was going well from their side.

Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. The shockwaves that came threatened to shake the cave they guarded to pieces. Munchlax's body weight was enough to keep him from being moved backwards, whereas Octillery had to make use of his suction cups to keep himself from being flung back into the cave.

A white dome of light silently rose over the forest, spanning nearly half of its length.

On that day, those who survived would forever remember why Golem were known as Megaton Pokémon.

* * *

**Writing this was a lot of fun so I thought I would end with a bang. Would you believe that this chapter, the next one, and the five previous to this one was originally just two chapters in the earlier version, mind you I didn't have the run in the with the Golem, but still? After this chapter I realize how much I hate rain and never want to write about it again.  
**


	10. You Raise Me Up

**Sorry for taking so long to bring out this out, it's been difficult to write this chapter for a multitude of reasons. This chapter title is not like the others in that there aren't multiple meanings, no double entendres, and no clever usage of quotes or phrases. It is simply the title to the song that my friend Jay loved before he passed away. I've wanted to dedicate a chapter to him for the longest time, something epic, but for what I have in mind is really far away right now. For the time being, I just felt this would be appropriate for now. **

**I had to listen to "The Places Where Wishes Come True 2" about a dozen times on youtube to get myself in the right mood to write this. Also, a huge thanks to my betas Jakayrta and REV6Pilot for their patience in going over this gigantic chapter, it's the longest one I've ever written.**

* * *

**In Memory of my friend Jay**

* * *

**August 21**

A flurry of punches sliced through the air in rapid succession. To the human eye, it would appear as if everything past Blaziken's elbows had disappeared; the scalding waves of heat that shimmered before him could have easily been mistaken for his punches, but by the time the one watching noticed it, the Pokémon's arms would already be visible just before his chest.

Miltank crossed her arms in agitation as she glanced up once more into the distance of the crater's expanse. Despite her best efforts, she could not see the other edge of the crater. How Roserade, Clefable, and the alpha Houndoom had made it out of the explosion was beyond her. Not that she was going to complain, of course.

Her milk reserves had run dry, having used it to heal the wounded Houndoom, Glaceon, and Blaziken. It would take her a full day and a good night's sleep to replenish it. She'd asked May's starter to refrain from any kind of strenuous activities – his wounds were the worst by far, his leg having suffered a comminuted fracture in addition to the other broken bones and tissue damage, as well as the stress from overexertion. Had they found him any later, it might've been too late to save him. She had used the last drops of her milk on him, fearing greatly that it wouldn't be enough to stabilize his condition. Thankfully, she had been proven wrong.

She had gone to check on him the morning after, only to find that he had already left to train in the woods… Or what was left of it. After combing the forest, silently fuming all the while, she eventually found him below ground level at the crater's center.

If Blaziken noticed Miltank roll towards him, he gave no sign of it, seemingly lost in his world of training. Miltank watched him hop from one leg to the other, launching a fist and pulling it back before he landed a hit on his imaginary opponent.

She shook her head and sighed as she watched him shadowbox. "You must have hit your head or something. I thought I told you to refrain from strenuous activities," she said in a normal tone, "and THIS IS STRENUOUS!" she shouted.

"Relax, I'm fine," Blaziken assured her, eyes focused on the foe only he could see.

"Oh really?" she replied skeptically. She walked over to him and delivered a swift kick to his leg.

The starter's resolve to fight through the discomfort his training brought on dissolved instantly as he fell over, clutching the appendage. Miltank's stern gaze followed him as he writhed across the floor, yelling in agony.

"What was that for?"

"I'm helping you!"

"How is kicking my injured leg helping?" he barked angrily, leaning into the sloping walls of the crater.

"Compared to what you were planning on doing, it was nothing! Was it so difficult to stay in the cave and rest?"

"I can't afford to sit around! I need to get stronger, for May's sake. For everyone's sake," Blaziken replied dejectedly, averting his gaze and looking at the blackened soil below his feet.

Miltank sighed, plopping herself onto the ground a few feet across from him and leaning into the slanted incline of the newly formed basin.

"I was able to fix your leg to a certain extent… But it seems stupidity and stubbornness are beyond my healing capabilities. You're not the only one fighting, you know. We have an entire team back at the cave, along with the Houndoom. You don't have to carry everything on your shoulders."

Blaziken's eyes lifted off the ground and met hers for a moment. He averted his gaze once more. "When I fought on the outskirts of that city, the way-"

"-Goldenrod. The city was called Goldenrod," Miltank added stiffly, remembering the countless times her master had proudly announced herself as the city's gym leader to their newest contender and victim.

A title now left behind in the smoldering ruins of a once proud city, she mused.

"… Right," Blaziken replied, feeling guilty. He knew he had unearthed some painful memories, which she had probably buried deep. She had lost her home, her sisters… And with a single glance at the pink haired effigy that followed the group, it was easy to determine that the one had once been her master and friend was obviously on that list. "The way I fought those bugs, the way I killed them… It was so easy. I enjoyed it, every second of it. I felt… unstoppable. I felt like I had more power in one finger than I'd had in my entire body ever since I'd hatched… Before all of this started. Then, when the Houndoom surrounded us, I'd thought, and had no shadow of a doubt, that we were dead."

Miltank saw her companion's fists clench and shake as he spoke. He was visibly angry, but more than that, he was frustrated. "I felt so useless. I wondered where all the power I'd felt had gone. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't help the others and their trainers; hell, I couldn't protect even my own trainer. I couldn't even protect _myself_." Blaziken held his head in his hands as his body shook in the throes of an emotional quake. "Then Banette and Cacturne came to me, and d'ya know what they said?"

Miltank shook her head as he paused, realizing he couldn't see her do it, and waited patiently for him to tell her. Despite having been one of the three that stood before their trainers at that time, she hadn't bothered to move closer and hear the conversation that went on between Banette, Cacturne, and Blaziken. All she could remember was the paralyzing fear that had her rooted to the ground and the deafening beat of her heart, which seemed to have had migrated to her ears.

"They said the Houndoom wanted to talk to who was in charge!" Blaziken finally replied, his voice oozing complete and utter disbelief in the very words he had uttered. "They didn't go to their trainer; they didn't even come to mine! They came to me! I mean, when did everyone just decide I was in charge? What did I do that earned me that right?"

"You can't tell me it didn't feel nice to have them think of you as the leader," Miltank replied gently, hoping she could calm him down through the tone of her voice. She watched some of the tension dissipate from Blaziken's body in a sigh of relief, as the hands that once held his head slid across his feathers and rested on his knees.

"I didn't think I'd deserved it. At that moment I really didn't want that, to be responsible for all these lives… I didn't want that. I'd rather it be anyone but me."

"What if it couldn't have been anyone but you?"

To this his head rose, an incredulous stare meeting her serious gaze.

"Don't look at me like that. Who else could it have been if not you?" Miltank replied sternly, as if he were a petulant child.

"I don't know!" he yelled. "Maybe Roserade…" he suggested feebly.

"Roserade, you say? Look at her: she's too high strung. Banette was too unstable to be in charge of much of anything. Cacturne must've thought you were the best choice, better than himself. He must've seen _something _in you that made you a better leader than him. That was a life and death moment for all of us; he wasn't about to cast off the responsibility of being the leader simply because he didn't want to deal with the things that come with the title."

"What do I have that he doesn't? What do I have that _any_ of you don't?"

"For one," Miltank offered, counting with her paw, "your type combination can easily beat more than half of our group. Secondly, from what I've heard from the others, the amount of Pokémon you killed easily surpasses the combined amount we wiped out."

"So, my kill count automatically earns me the position," Blaziken mumbled bitingly.

Miltank ignored his tone. "No. It means you're stronger than us, that you have the power to protect us."

He didn't say a thing. She decided to continue. "You were able to make a decision back in the cave when none of us would."

"And look where it got us," Blaziken growled, his arms lifting briefly to the sides, calling attention to the crater they were in.

"If Banette had made the decision and gone on his own, I don't think anyone would've followed him. Believe it or not, you command a lot of respect – not only from your party, but also the others. If you hadn't decided as quickly as you had, the casualties would've been a lot higher."

The male remained silent, eventually breaking eye contact with her to stare at the infinitely more interesting specks of scorched soil at his feet. He didn't need to say anything; he was becoming accustomed to knowing when he was beaten. An eerie silence filled the crater to the brim like water, Blaziken apparently content with stretching the quiescence for as long as possible.

"Why are you training here of all places?" Miltank broke the silence, motioning at their blackened surroundings.

"… It's a reminder, of what I'm up against. I thought I was strong, you guys think I'm strong, but this helps me see how weak I really am. It reminds me of the tougher things that will come."

"Tougher than this?"

"Remember what Banette told us? Before we came there was something that scared the Houndoom senseless. When the Golem challenged the Houndoom for this territory, they answered the challenge without fear."

Miltank nodded. He went on. "Even when they were getting decimated, they didn't run to call us for help. Whatever the Pokémon that came before us was, it was probably as strong as a hundred of that last Golem, if not more. Do I need to remind you of that Pokémon we ran away from? We couldn't even get face to face with it; hell, I doubt we could've gotten any closer than what we already were.

"The wild Pokémon of the area ran away even when they had the clear advantage over us! The only thing that was left for us to do was run, and even then we barely escaped. Even Protect didn't work against it!_Protect_! Which if you remember can block almost_everything_! _We lost Flygon to that thing_! He was ground, for crying out loud, it shouldn't have affected him in the least, _let alone blow him to cinders_!"

Only then Blaziken realized he was standing over Miltank, whom winced whenever he bellowed another word as he shouted his lungs out. He backed away; full of regret, filling in the groove his body had formed in the wall.

"You don't need to remind me. I saw enough of my life burn to the ground to carve it into my memory for as long as I live!" she spat.

"Sorry," was all Blaziken could manage, knowing he had been extremely insensitive to his healer's feelings. "But now you see now why I'm here, why I need to get stronger? Whatever strength I had was only good enough to help May win contests. Nothing nearly as grave as this."

Miltank settled down. "Well, I want to help you, but I can only do that if you help yourself. You need to wait until I can heal you entirely, otherwise you're just gonna end up hurting yourself and hindering your ability to get stronger. While you wait, maybe you could talk to the others. They might have some advice that could help. You might even be able to spar-"

"-No. There's no way I'm sparring with you guys."

"Well, why not?"

"If you guys really feel that I'm the strongest, then sparring with you would only injure you people. To be honest, before we met the Ursaring, when we were resting in the cave, I was scared. I was scared of my own strength. Everything's different now, and I don't know if it can ever be the way it was before. I can't let a single blow connect unless I want to kill, or at least disable. And that happening to any of you… No, I can't even think of it."

The kickboxer closed his eyes. "That's why I have to train alone; I can't risk it. We've lost too many friends just to get to this point. We can't afford to lose anyone more, even more so if we ourselves cause it."

Blaziken watched Miltank lift herself off the ground with a sigh, making her way up the crater with her back to him.

After a few steps, she stopped and turned her head back towards him. "The more I listen to you, the more I trust that if you tried, if you wanted to, you would make a great leader for this team."

Blaziken was left to watch her procession up the hill, debating whether he should continue training.

Before he lost sight of her, Miltank threw him a warning glare, and he decided that one kick had been enough.

* * *

It hadn't been difficult to snatch Cacturne's Pokéball from Harley and release him just outside of the cave. The burst of light revealed the conscious, but woozy, Pokémon, who was instinctively on alert, needles protruding from every inch of his body.

Fatigue had yet to leave his body, so he knew that a full day hadn't passed yet. The only reason he could think as to why they would summon him before he was fully rested was that they needed his help in eliminating a hostile they couldn't contend with themselves.

What he wasn't expecting was a row of familiar faces that met his gaze. His tension melted at the sight, the spikes quickly retracting, and he took on a more tired, but more casual, stance.

It wasn't until he looked into their eyes that he realized something was wrong. Roserade, Clefable, and rest of combined party wore melancholic expressions, their eyes averted. A small group of Houndoom stood behind Alpha. Little did Cacturne know it was all that remained of the Houndoom pack.

"What happened?" the scarecrow asked, receiving only silence as his answer.

It was in that awkward silence that he could hear the wind blow through the trees, take in the tranquility of the scene, and hear himself think. It was in that brief and quiet moment that realization hit and his eyes began to widen, his heart plummeting. It was too quiet.

"Where's Banette?" he asked softly.

Without a word the Houndoom parted, a straight path being set before him and a bundle of gray rags that lay on the ground behind them.

"A group of Golem attacked the Houndoom yesterday in an attempt to claim this territory. We were able to eliminate them, but…" Roserade began, finding it difficult to put the experience and memory to words.

Cacturne slowly made his way past the Houndoom, Roserade's next words drowned out in his ears. Part of him couldn't quite grasp the concept, like it was made of an evanescent smoke. Words had abandoned him, leaving the air trapped inside his throat. His gaze drifted upwards, taking in the endless azure expanse of the sky. There were no clouds to shade them from the sun.

The warmth wasn't too overbearing, lessened by the cool breeze that blew over them. Every leaf on every tree gleamed a vibrant emerald, the forest around them seemingly teeming with life. The air smelled fresh after the heavy rains, with no humidity to bother them. On all accounts it was a beautiful day with a wonderful climate.

A perfect day. And Cacturne loathed every second of it.

It was unfair. How could everything be so animated and wonderful when his friend had died? Logic and reason were cast aside, making room for his grief and sorrow. He knew it shouldn't have affected him as much, because he knew, even before all of this madness had begun, that the world was unfair. The deaths of his teammates and comrades only solidified that statement. He knew how unreasonable it was to hate how the day was because of Banette's death, but ultimately he didn't care.

It was easy to pin the blame on the Golem, but they were already dead. They could no longer give him the satisfaction of wringing every ounce of pain from them; make them beg and wish for death until he finally deemed them worthy of receiving it. All he had was Banette's body, and the sorrow that came with knowing he would be absent from their lives for the rest of their days.

Cacturne could no longer distract himself from the truth with his surroundings, gazing back down at the marionette's body. Each step he took defined more and more of Banette's features, enough to the point where Cacturne could not longer delude himself into believing they were simply a pile of dirty rags.

The sound of crushed grass beneath Cacturne's weight was practically deafening to the others, his legs buckling just before Banette's body. Clefable watched as Roserade broke away from her, hesitantly advancing towards the other grass Pokémon.

Banette was quiet, still, and for the first time since he had joined Harley's group, he looked peaceful. It contradicted everything Cacturne had known about the haunted toy, and yet one thing he recognized stood out to him, one thing had remained. Banette's signature smile had been left intact.

_'__That's so like him. Even now, he's smiling like an idiot__,'_ Cacturne thought to himself, knowing he couldn't trust himself to voice his thoughts out loud without breaking down. Cacturne's vision began to blur as he slammed his fist into the ground, feeling the soft and tender texture of Roserade's petals on his shoulder, offering the only support she could provide.

Questions swarmed his mind en masse. _'Why didn't they wake me up for me to fight with them? Would I have been of any use as tired as I was? Could I have stopped this? Could this have been me? _He knew the answers made perfect sense, answers he already knew, but in the end, none of it mattered.

It was different from Wigglytuff's death, where there was nothing left to bury, or like Ariados, where he knew for certain that he was dead with just a glance. But Banette was right in front of him, intact, silent, and still. If he didn't know any better, he could've sworn Banette was nothing more than fainted.

He truly wished it all to be a cruel joke Banette had concocted, and everyone was just playing along. But even Banette's humor had limits, and a joke of his magnitude would be too much for him, if only because keeping a straight face would have proven too difficult for him. The haunted toy could laugh and joke about the darkest topics till the end of time, but like Ariados had proven, when it came to something personal, there were certain things even he couldn't find any humor in.

He found himself wondering how Harley would take it, if only him to try and keep from breaking down himself. How would his coordinator react at waking up, only to find out one of his Pokémon was dead? The thought of it being only Octillery and him from now on was unbearable.

Clefable moved over to join Roserade at Cacturne's side, now shuddering with every restrained sob. The sight of Cacturne, the very same Cacturne who had bravely stayed behind to fight off the onslaught of Ursaring, now reduced to tears, made her eyes begin to water as well. He held himself up with shaking arms, tears trickling over the corpse of his friend. Glaceon found herself beginning to tear up as well, surprised to find her tears weren't freezing.

"I'm sorry Cacturne. We felt it was only right that you and your coordinator saw him before we buried him, unless you two wanted to do something different," Roserade said softly, reminding herself that she had already shed enough tears to be steeled for this moment.

It was a while before Cacturne trusted himself to speak out loud without his voice cracking in front of the others. "Could you believe the last thing I said to him, the last thing I asked him…was not to laugh as much?" he choked out, turning away from the broken doll. Roserade gave him a sympathetic look, her arm never leaving his shuddering shoulder.

"My last words to him were ones of anger, and distrust. He trusted the Houndoom when I couldn't. Had I acted sooner, maybe none of this would've happened. He was right about them, but now I can't even apologize, or admit to him that I was wrong. If it's anyone's fault that he's dead… it's mine. I'm so sorry, Cacturne.

She turned her gaze down. "I'll understand if you can't forgive me."

Cacturne's golden eyes briefly met Roserade's shimmering crimson ones, staring off into the distance and blinking away the tears she could no longer contain. She had told herself she would be strong for this moment, only now finding that her façade was crumbling before the one who needed the most comfort.

Cacturne watched as she bit her trembling lip, her eyes swimming as a single, fat tear ran down the side of her cheek. A small green needle slowly emerged from the end of the stub that was his hand, gently wiping away the tear from her face with a degree of finesse his spikes had never been known for.

He cleared his throat before he spoke, turning Roserade's head with his hand until their eyes met.

"Even though his kind is known for it, our Banette was never the kind of Pokémon to hold grudges. He'd always prefer to laugh things off; I guess he was weird even among his own kind," he said, forcing a chuckle. The longer he looked into her eyes, the easier it was for him to understand where the sadness and sorrow she held behind her stare came from.

Like him, she knew she could have done something against the Golem. She could have spared their collective group the sorrow, pain, and death that came in the wake of their attackers. But unlike him, she had been there. She'd had every opportunity to do it, and it was the guilt, to have been responsible for the deaths of so many because of her inaction, that ate her from within. Now she stood before the one whose friend she had let die, asking for the one thing she would never expect to receive.

"You know… if he were here, he wouldn't blame you for what happened to him. He'd laugh and tease you about being wrong, but I know he'd forgive you…" Cacturne said softly, watching her eyes beginning to shimmer like wet glass. "So I forgive you, too."

It happened without warning. Before Cacturne knew it, Roserade had launched herself into him, her bouquets wrapped around his midsection. Although unexpected, the feeling was not unwelcome. It took only a few seconds for Cacturne to react, but eventually he returned the hug as she sobbed. Clefable and the others had backed away, giving them the space they thought was appropriate, as Roserade spoke wet and muffled apologies into the other's shoulder.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't quite explain to herself why she had thrown herself onto Cacturne's grasp, offering herself the meager excuse that it was the relief that Cacturne had forgiven her. To top off her growing mountain of humiliation, she had tasked herself with being strong for Cacturne in his moment of grief, only to see the roles now reversed. The guilt of having been responsible for the death of his friend and the relief that came with his forgiveness had been too much for her to handle.

Cacturne waited until she had calmed down, a small sense of comfort coming from the sense that he was doing what Banette probably would've wanted him to do. His hand rose and gently pressed against the white petal on the back of her head.

"I don't want you blaming yourself about what happened, you know he wouldn't have wanted that. Okay?" A single sniffle and wet nod against his shoulder came as his answer. She made no attempt to detach herself from him, but he didn't mind: he wasn't in any hurry to have her leave.

Roserade's confession came barely higher than a whisper. "As infuriating… and irritating as he was, I think… I'll actually miss hearing him laugh."

Cacturne nodded, holding her gently as he took long breaths to calm himself once more. He had finally gotten his emotions in check, but the memories of Banette's laughter came at him all at once.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna miss that too," he whispered back, saying nothing more. No good could come if both of them broke out into tears.

Banette's all too familiar and incessant snickers echoed in his mind. The mind was truly incredible, in his grief it had seen fit to perfectly replicate Banette's snickers with such potency he could've sworn his old friend was right behind him.

"Just pollinate already, there's a cave over there," a voice behind them croaked.

Roserade gasped and leapt away from Cacturne at the sound of the voice, gaining the attention of every conscious Pokémon in the clearing. Cacturne found himself hanging onto the belief that what he had heard was simply a figment of his imagination. Apparently Roserade had heard it as well, and so had the rest of the group from the way they stared at him, or more accurately, behind him.

"They should seriously consider renaming your type as the 'Thorny Pokemon'," the voice cackled.

It was at that point that several things clicked within Cacturne's head.

One: there was a small possibility that the vacant vessel of rags behind him, otherwise known as Banette, had somehow miraculously returned to the world of the living.

Two: if point one was correct, then the aforementioned bundle of rags, currently laughing at their expense for the emotional display they had shown for his sake, was going to be killed once more.

Three: if point two was correct, the second death of the bundle of rags could be classified as "friendly fire".

Clefable and Roserade ran at Cacturne, who was already on his feet and whirling around to face the source of the voice, letting out an aura of killing intent that could be felt throughout the clearing.

"Aww, don't stop just yet. It was just getting good."

Staring down the end of a dozen emerald spikes – each dedicated to a different vital a centimeter away from the tip – did nothing to deter Banette. Cacturne's anger and scowl gradually dissolved beneath his friend's continued giggles, eventually curving into a smile against his will. The haunted toy's laughter subsided as Cacturne's spikes retracted back into his body.

"You guys didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you?" he asked, wincing with every chuckle. Roserade rapidly wiped away any stray tears from the corners of her eyes, the action failing to go unnoticed by the doll's glowing crimson eyes.

"Awww, looks like somebody missed good ol' Baney," the ethereal puppet snickered. Roserade's mortification achieved new levels when another sniffle escaped her, eliciting another round of demented giggles. The group now stared in awe at the sight before them, unsure if what they were seeing was actually real or if they had all gone under the influence of something and were having a collective hallucination.

"If your wounds weren't so severe that another blow would kill you, I'd… I'd…" Clefable's voice trailed off, her words losing their weight as tears of happiness streamed down her rosy cheeks.

"Shoulda buried me while ya still had the chance, 'cause now I'm nonrefundable," Banette cackled before ending it with pained coughs. "Could someone heal me? It hurts to laugh, and I can't seem to stop myself from laughing!" each chuckle was accompanied by a pained grimace.

Clefable, Roserade, and Cacturne simply watched him, their demeanor changing entirely. Pregnant seconds passed, filled only with the agonized hoots and hollers that erupted past Banette's golden zipper lips.

"Should… one of us get Miltank to come and heal him?" Munchlax suggested, after a full minute had passed.

"No, not just yet. I think I like him just the way he is right now," Cacturne replied, eyes focused on the ghost that writhed beneath their combined stares. Roserade and Clefable nodding in agreement, the sound of Banette's self-induced mix of torture and mirth like music to their ears.

It would be a few minutes before they would fetch Miltank to heal him, and a few hours before they would surrender to the idea that it was by some stroke of luck or miracle that their Banette had come back.

Alpha shook his head, blinking a few times, and lifted his gaze back to the others. At first he had thought it had been some kind of optical illusion, believing it to be the way the sun's light caught their tears in mid fall, refracting the light and creating airborne diamonds. Yet as he continued to watch, the pinpricks of light stayed and hovered just above the grass. He had watched them travel past Cacturne as he mourned, then as quickly as they had appeared, they faded and vanished.

* * *

A multitude of sensations bombarded Drew's first instance of consciousness, all in the span of one second. No thoughts of what had transpired in the last few days invaded his mind – there was only the darkness behind his eyelids and the memories of the world he had unknowingly left behind.

For one, he felt incredible, utterly rested and relaxed. Drew couldn't remember the last time he had felt this good. He hoped that the euphoric sensation would never end. As if to taunt him, the bliss vanished upon his mental acknowledgment of its existence. Hunger quickly rushed in to fill the void, the new sensation hitting the young coordinator like a sledgehammer to the gut.

Drew reflexively curled into a ball from the sudden pain that began to gnaw at him relentlessly, and quickly came to regret his decision to move; the aches that came from sleeping on the ground were not alien to him. The green haired youth rolled onto his back, knowing that the original position that had brought him such bliss would be lost to him forever, and gathered his thoughts, aware that the reality he wanted to hear and the one that he was actually in were not the same.

_'__I'm on my journey to become the top Pokémon coordinator, right? I'm camping out in the woods, in Johto, 'cause where else would I be? I'll wake up and I'll be in the next town in no time. I just need a few more ribbons, just a few more. I'll probably see May and Solidad in the next town too, and I'll be able to show them how strong I've gotten!__'_

Tears fell from Drew eyes, knowing deep in his heart that the lies he told himself couldn't comfort him, or turn back the clock and undo all he had seen… and give back what he'd lost.

Snippets of the real memories came to him in quick succession, none of them pleasant. Images of Goldenrod, Raikou, Flygon, Solidad, Butterfree, and Ursaring came at him all at once, all of them tied together by one thing that they shared in common: death.

His eyes opened to the sight of a cave's interior, but the light that came from the entrance forced them close as quickly as he had opened them. It wasn't the first time this had happened, waking up and wishing that everything he had gone through, everything he had seen, was all just a horrible nightmare. The realization didn't hit him any more softly. It wasn't any easier to accept.

The boy's fingers dug into the sheets beneath him, the unexpected silken texture making his hands retreat from the covers as if they had been woven with flames. He blindly rolled onto his stomach, feeling the stiffness his body had accumulated for an entire day's worth of rest on hard ground.

Wrinkled peach sheets greeted his green eyes, the sight of them triggering the only thing he hadn't remembered: the Houndoom. With all his most recent memories filled with death and destruction, it had been easy to overlook the one memory that wasn't about an imminent threat on their lives. He had been so exhausted that night he couldn't have brought himself to care about anything or anyone.

Drew sifted through his memories of what he believed to be the night before. Their Pokémon had spoken with the Houndoom that surrounded them, and something they'd said had spared them, or at least that was what Drew hoped it was. In the worst case scenario, their Pokémon had struck some kind of deal with the dogs, trading the lives of their coordinators for their own. Harley's absence from the bed beside him didn't exactly disprove his theory, either.

The young human shook his head. There was no way his Pokémon would ever agree to something like that! Yet, doubt still resided in the darkest corners of his mind. Could he blame them for wanting to save their own skins? Tired, wounded, and slow, he wasn't more than a liability to them, a dead weight, and he was sure that the only reason for they not to simply finish him off or leave him to die by some other means was their loyalty and affection.

Drew's worries were abated at the sound of his Roserade's call from behind him. An audible crack from his neck was heard throughout the cave as he turned his head to meet her. The Pokémon launched herself into him, taking in the familiar scent of her coordinator as he returned the embrace.

'_Okay, so maybe they haven't used us as a bargaining tool_,' Drew thought to himself, meeting his Roserade's gaze. A look of concern was painted on her face, the azure petals that made up her hand tracing the fresh stream of tears from his right eye.

"Don't worry about it," Drew replied, peering over her skeptical stare to see the empty entrance of the cave. "Roserade, where's Harley?" he asked calmly, watching her turn and aim her bouquet towards the cave's exit. Drew had yet to even move a finger towards the cave's exit when he heard something shuffle behind him.

* * *

Jade pools watched the dying embers burn with newfound vigor, the crackle of the flames fighting for dominance against the constant sizzle of the cooking sausages on the metal frying pan. It wasn't a five star meal, but the aroma alone was enough to make Harley's mouth water.

He'd been fortunate enough to wake up before the others, roused by the distinct sound of Banette's laughter. Cacturne and Banette blurred into motion at the sight of him exiting the cave, and within seconds Harley found himself sandwiched between his two buddies. It was only after Banette's infectious laughter had subsided from the three of them that Harley took a step back to truly look at his friends.

Whereas Banette remained unchanged, Harley could've sworn his Cacturne had evolved into an entirely different Pokémon. The only thing more surprising than the obvious differences was the fact that he hadn't noticed them sooner. Cacturne were known to reach just above 4 feet in height, barely reaching Harley's shoulder (not including the green hat-like structure on their heads). Now at the height of about six feet, Harley would be forced to look up as Cacturne looked down if they wanted their eyes to meet.

Aside from the staggering height from his long new legs, different parts of Cacturne's anatomy had metamorphosed as well. Cacturne's toned and muscled arms now extended from a pair of broad shoulders, a physical attribute his never seen before in a Cacturne, If Harley didn't know any better, he could've sworn his buddy hadn't eaten in weeks with the disappearance of his once pudgy and rounded face – when asked if he had been skipping meals, Cacturne simply shook his head.

His once thick and stocky waist and legs had thinned to the point where he could wear Harley's Cacturne-patterned pants if he wanted to. If anything, Cacturne appeared more humanoid than ever before.

When he asked what he'd missed in his absence, Banette simply shrugged and shook his head, earning him a look from Cacturne and the entire group behind him. Harley chose to not pursue the topic any further – he was curious, but didn't feel like playing charades with his Pokémon.

When he asked if anyone was hurt or had died, Banette confidently shook his head while the others looked too confused to answer. For the most part they all appeared unscathed and had no reason to lie to him.

It didn't take long for him to find the small mound of packaged food, drinks, and cooking utensils and put them to good use. Although brought to him with the best intentions, Harley found himself laughing at how useless items like a blender and an electric whisk, which he found among the available items, would be to him, given the food he had to work with and the lack of a power line.

One of the Houndoom had been kind enough to help start a fire for him while Cacturne brought him sliced stacks of lumber. All that was left to do was to wait until the hotdogs were fully cooked, and hope that the others woke up before the food got too cold. His Pokémon, as well as the others', had politely declined when he offered to make them a meal, urging him to eat it himself and leave some for the others.

It was in the silence that Harley found himself appreciating every second of the well-deserved respite that came with sitting down and knowing that they were safe and protected. It would be a few minutes before his meal would be ready, which gave him the time to gather this thoughts, something that he felt he hadn't done for ages.

It baffled him in so many ways to find himself no longer running for his life in constant, imminent dangerous situations. But more than that, it astounded him that he had become so accustomed to being shadowed by promises of death. It came to be something expected now, even in the most tranquil of settings.

Despite it not being his first time seeing them, Harley found himself mesmerized by the flames he saw before him. Flames that had come from Blaziken's mouth, flames that had killed people in the audience back in Goldenrod's contest building. It was with these very same flames that he was cooking his next meal.

Pokémon flames and real flames – flames that could raze cities and forests, leave third degree burns, and ultimately be fatal – had become one and the same. It didn't stop at fire, or at lightning, or even grass; every elemental attack had become just as powerful and lethal as its real counterpart. Regardless of how much he wanted his theory to be wrong, part of him couldn't help but feel that there was a good possibility that every Pokémon on the planet was now capable of lethal force, like those Ursaring, and even his own Pokémon.

Sure, the Houndoom that they had encountered were amiable towards them, but it did not change the fact that each and every one of them possessed the power to kill them with ease. The chance that the lethal transformations of Goldenrod City's Pokémon were a local anomaly was weakened, if not entirely crushed, in their run-in with the Ursaring.

What guaranteed that the change had stopped at Johto? What was to stop it from reaching Kanto, Hoenn or Sinnoh? A repeat of the events in Goldenrod in his hometown, Slateport City, immediately surfaced in his mind. To think that his mother could be dead while he was thousands of miles away, on another continent, drew the color from his face and left only a chalk-white hue. He suddenly felt lightheaded, his arm moving to keep from teetering onto the floor. The costumed coordinator fought to slow his heart rate, shaking the worries from his head and focusing solely on the sizzling that filled the air.

There was no guarantee the same had happened in Hoenn, nor was there any that it hadn't happened. Yet, in the end, there was nothing he could do about it from where he was. Fretting and panicking would not fix anything. He could only hope that the things he cherished, things he'd grown up with and loved, were still safe and standing.

Harley knew he wouldn't be the only one with worries about home, worries that he hoped could be eased with a single long distance call to Hoenn from the next town's Pokémon Center. It then occurred to him that someone would have to contact Solidad's parents in Pewter City and inform them of what had happened to their daughter.

Being the oldest of the group, the responsibility automatically fell onto him, though he couldn't promise he would fare any better emotionally than May or Drew. Then, there was always the possibility that Solidad's parents or the next town over had suffered a similar fate. Harley shook the depressing thought from his mind, to no effect.

He'd have to stay strong for both May and Drew. Solidad had left him with that important task, and he had no intention of failing it.

Harley lowered his gaze, counting each ring within the stump he sat on, a courtesy gift from his Cacturne. "Hey… Solidad," he whispered to the air, unsure of what to say next when only silence answered back. He remained silent for a long time before he spoke again, leaning back and holding himself up with his arms. He lifted his eyes to the blue sky and fluffy white clouds above him. _'A view I can only see because she died to give me the chance…'_

"There's… so many questions I have, so many things I wanna tell you, but I don't know if you're actually there, or if you even exist in any way."

Harley closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, letting the tears fall freely from his eyes. His dirt filled nails sunk into the skin of his palms.

"I just wish… I just want you to be real in some way. Any way. I want to know that you're listening. I want some kind of sign, any kind of sign to at least let me know I'm not wasting my breath… that I'm not crazy." Harley leaned forward and bowed his head, his elbows meeting his knees as his hands moved to his face in an attempt to hide his anguish from the world. Holding in his grief made his heart want to burst out of his chest, and so it took him every bit of his will to choke back a sob.

"I want you to know that I've… that I'm trying. I'm not gonna give up. We've made it this far. I can't really take credit for it, but… but…" the teenager managed to choke out, finding it harder and harder to make the next words come out while sounding coherent. His fingers pressed against his temples as he tried to stay as still as possible, having no way to stop the flow of tears out of his eyes, or the pains that wracked his body and soul.

She wouldn't have wanted to see him mourn over her like this; at least, that was what he thought she would want. He immediately felt like a fool – there were so many things he didn't know about Solidad, it sounded ridiculous for him to assume what she'd like and what she wouldn't. But even so, he couldn't stop thinking.

Were she to see what had transpired in the last few days, would she be proud of him? Proud that he had discarded all notions of anger and vengeance towards May and Drew, so that they could survive?

Those would be questions he knew would haunt him for as long as he lived, questions that he would ask himself every day and know that no answer would ever come. She would never be able to tell him, he would never be able to hear it from her lips and know it was authentic. He could only hope that what he did from now on would be good enough.

Years and distance had made them like strangers when they met at Pokémon contests. A curt nod of acknowledgment was all that passed between them when their eyes would meet across a room or in passing. Why was it now that memories of their old friendship decided to reappear in his mind? Why was it only after she had died that he began to realize how much he truly cared for her?

Feeling as he was, only now that she was gone, made him feel like he had never truly cared for her in the first place. She had died without knowing how much she meant to him. She would never know. But then, the way she'd smiled at him, the way she'd looked into his eyes in her final moments, it all left him wondering what she thought of him, if somehow she had known. What went through her mind as she looked into the eyes of the last person she would ever see?

A burnt smell reached his nose, reeling him out of his escape from reality. Harley immediately jumped to his feet, staring disdainfully at the shriveled blackened remains of what would've been his meal. He wiped away the stray mucus and tears with his arm, blindly reaching for a spatula to scrape off what was now basically as edible as charcoal.

The coordinator turned to the small mountain of packaged food behind him and sighed. The amount of food they had was enough to last them several days, but with no way of telling how close they were to the next town, they would have to ration it as best they could.

He would have time to mourn for Solidad later. Right now, he needed to make sure the others woke up with something to eat, because in the end, that was what Solidad would've wanted him to do, right?

* * *

Between Alpha and Clefable, Cacturne learned most of what had transpired in the night of his absence. He'd expected it to be more like Glaceon's telling of her part in the battle, having the flare of a story rather than a briefing. He couldn't help but smile as she described herself, and even acted out, flying through the air, launching her attacks at the airborne Golem.

The pink fairy and the bone-covered hound had no such imaginations as far as he was concerned, practically giving a bulleted summary of the events. Seeing as the battle had been hard enough to cripple Blaziken, and take his best friend to the brink of death, he was curious to know more about it and get every perspective. The only ones he hadn't asked were Blaziken and Banette, who coincidentally were both missing.

He asked around and found that Glaceon had noticed the ethereal puppet silently drift into the woods. Finding Banette had proven harder than Cacturne had expected, not even the slightest hint of a snicker carried by the wind. However, the animated cactus didn't have to walk far to find him at the edge of the final Golem's gravesite. Cacturne had yet to see the crater, a mixture of awe and horror at the destruction.

"You're taller than I remember," Banette commented, never once turning to look at Cacturne.

He was surprised that Banette knew, without even looking, that it was him and not someone else who had arrived. "I guess. I didn't really notice until we saw Harley. I always remember him being taller than me. Having to look down to see him from now on will be weird," he replied.

"I feel like a lot changed while I was out. Strange, considering it was so short… I knew you, Harley, and Octi would take it hard, but I didn't expect anyone else to cry."

"Why's that?"

"Banette exist by being abandoned, it's how we come into being. Because we are loved and then no longer cared for, we get thrown away like garbage, and so we haunt and curse our original owners. I've come to terms with being left behind and forgotten, and I didn't think it would be any different this time around."

"And now?"

The marionette Pokémon was silent and still for a few seconds, a trait Cacturne was not sure he was comfortable with, his friend's nature considered.

"Now, I can say I'm pleasantly surprised that you guys care."

Another moment of silence ensued, which Cacturne couldn't help but feel weirded out by. Silence and Banette… they just didn't mix. It was as alien as the idea of mixing pure water and oil, or poisoning a Steel-type Pokémon.

"It's crazy, ain't it? Too bad I wasn't here to see it," the living puppet commented, motioning towards the crater.

"Why are you here?"

"Blunt as always. Good to see some things haven't changed," Banette mumbled. "Thought I'd pay a visit to our friendly neighborhood flaming chicken; don't think he heard the news that I was back."

"How'd he take it?"

"He took it pretty well, considering all I did was float up to him and fill him in," Banette sighed. "Still seems like a waste, though."

"What does?"

"On my way here, I kept thinking of different ways to scare the crap out of him. It's not every day that someone thinks you're dead after all. I'd be sane if I didn't take advantage of an opportunity like this. I had a bunch of ideas, like acting all dreary and telling him that tonight he'd be visited by three ghost Pokémon, but where was I gonna get chains to rattle?"

"Why didn't you?" Cacturne asked, finding it hard to smile at Banette's joke when he knew there was more to it than just laziness.

"To be honest, I really didn't feel like it," Banette replied, shrugging in defeat.

"Something's eating at you, I can tell. Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Nah, I'm good…"

"You sure? You know you can talk to me about anything," Cacturne insisted, surprised to find the marionette being shy about something – or anything, for that matter.

Banette threw him a quick sidelong glance before gazing back at the crater's expanse.

"You'll…you'll think I'm crazy."

Cacturne took a step back, checking the skies to see they had turned red and if rivers of lava had started traversing the land.

"So you're telling me that the Pokémon, that spends nearly his entire life laughing maniacally at things that aren't even meant to be laughed at is worried that others will think he's _crazy_?"

"Okay, point for you."

"So what's up?" Cacturne asked again, his voice softer than before, almost pleading in tone.

"I… I think I might've… had a dream."

"A dream?" Cacturne inquired, unable to hide the skepticism in his voice.

"Yeah, I know, I don't sleep. You don't have to tell me twice."

"Banette, it may not have occurred to you, but you were dead."

"Yeah, about that, I really don't think I was actually-"

"You weren't _breathing_, for like several hours."

"Details," Banette replied dismissively, turning around to face him, waving his hand as if the entire affair meant nothing. Cacturne sighed as he rolled his eyes, and gave up; he knew an uphill battle when he saw one. Yet, it was still comforting to know that deep down, Banette was still Banette.

"You were saying?"

"All I remember was everything being white for as far as I could see. I don't know if I imagined it all, if it was a dream, or if I really died. What really surprised me was that there weren't any flames."

"Banette," Cacturne groaned.

"Oh come on, you didn't honestly think I was gonna end up anywhere else if I died, did you?"

It was only after Cacturne refused to answer that Banette continued, his tone going softer once more.

"I saw Ariados and Wigglytuff," the puppet said with a sigh.

"Wigglytuff?"

"I know! Weird, huh? I seriously couldn't find _any _flames!"

"Banette!" the scarecrow chided.

"All right! All right! Like I was saying. We talked for a while, well actually Ariados talked, Wigglytuff didn't really say anything and I just listened and stared."

"What did he say?"

"He told me… he told me what he did before he died. He said he started getting hungrier and hungrier, and not for pokéblocks or berries. It was like something inside him took over and it tried to kill Harley and the others so it could eat them, but it had to kill the Ursaring since they weren't planning on leaving anything if they got their hands on them. In the end, he was able to regain control and save Harley, but it cost him his life. He didn't want me to let _it _take over like it did for him."

Banette turned his back to Cacturne once more, contemplating on how to pick his next words carefully, or whether he even should.

"Before I fought the Golem that beat the crap outta me and Blaziken, I fought another Golem. Thing is, when I met that first Golem, I completely forgot about the Houndoom. They were all over the place, some beaten, some dead. This Golem was probably new to his form, he was easy to scare and mess with. So I tortured him, not because I wanted to avenge the Houndoom, but because it amused me. I let that part of me take over and as long as I had my fun nothing else mattered," the animated puppet confessed.

"I wanted to torture the Golem for as long as I could, and when I was done with him, I had plans to do the same to the others if I could get my hands on them," he continued, his voice strained with frustration. "I could've ended the battle from the beginning, could've gone to help Blaziken earlier, and maybe things would've very well ended differently!"

"Banette, I-"

"That's not the worst part! What scares me more is, what if that's just the start?" Banette was almost hysterical at this point, waving his hands frantically in front of Cacturne's face. "What if I turn out like Ariados and I start torturing Pokémon to the point where it isn't enough anymore?" His face assumed a fearful expression, just as his voice went down several decibels. "And… and what if I turn on Harley?"

"The first step in fixing a problem is knowing that you have it," Cacturne said patiently. "With what you know now, you can put a stop to it. Besides, you've got the others and me to watch your back… and to stop you before that happens."

"We'll see," Banette whispered, not entirely convinced by the scarecrow's words. "I just hate the idea that I might do that to him or his frie-they are his friends, right?"

"At this point, considering what they've gone through together, I think they are," Cacturne replied with a nod.

* * *

So still and silent was Whitney that Harley flinched when he turned to see her, surprised that he hadn't felt her presence at all. She looked like she had fought a tornado and lost. With no reflective surfaces nearby, Harley could only guess at how haggard he himself looked. He patiently watched her slowly advance; the way she shyly sidled up to him reminded him of his earlier traveling days.

There were nights he would cook for himself beneath the full light of the moon, the aroma of his meals attracting small wild Pokémon of all types to his campsite. They were too cautious to get any closer but too hungry to move any further away. Harley could see that very same look in her eyes; eyes that darted between him and the sizzling pan.

In all the time he had spent thinking of fulfilling Solidad's last words, not once had he thought of Whitney. Solidad and Whitney had never formally met, and even if they had, Harley doubted Solidad would've tasked him with her safety. He carried no obligation to care for her, having only gratitude for the services she and her Pokémon had provided.

Harley's hand instinctively rose to his shoulder, as if to hide the scar left by the Swift he took. The memory of the event brought about a brief strike of phantom pain over his shoulder; the sting was long forgotten, but the scar would be a constant reminder of what had caused it, and what Clefable had done for him.

Once they reached the next town, would they part ways? With no home or family (that he knew of) to return to, what was to become of her if they decided to leave? Would she follow them, stay, or head back to what was probably the smoking ruins of her city and home? Would she try and rebuild her life elsewhere?

Harley imagined it was these questions that plagued her thoughts the moment she had awoken. In a group of rival coordinators, she was a stranger in her own region. The world of gym battles was so similar and yet so different from their world of contests. Yet, in that alone they shared something in common. Their worlds had been stripped from them and they had been forced into a new one. A world of death, loss, and pain, where there were no coordinators, gym leaders or trainers, only refugees and survivors.

Despite the bleak outlook, there was something in it that kept him moving. All of this had united them, and in that union they could find some solidarity.

Harley simply stared back at her and found himself astounded to see something he hadn't seen since he had met her. There was a light in her eyes that couldn't be mistaken for anything else but life and the determination to keep living. Had Solidad still been with them, had she seen what Whitney had done for them, she probably would've wanted to help her as well.

"If you're looking for your Pokémon, they're with the others. They all seem to be fine. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you," he said. Whitney's answer was several seconds of uncomfortable silence.

"I don't think we've formally met. My name's Harley. May and Drew mentioned that your name was Whitney, right?" Harley asked, extending a hand. The trainer gingerly stretched out her own hand, grasping Harley's for a moment before giving him a nearly imperceptible nod and drawing her hand back without even a shade of a shake.

The extended moments of quiet was made even more awkward with the growl of Whitney's stomach. Harley couldn't help but chuckle as Whitney blushed furiously, her arms wrapped around her midriff as if to cease any further sounds from escaping. The coordinator spun to face his makeshift kitchen, turning back to Whitney with a hotdog in hand. "It's not the best, but it should help hold us off until we get to the next town with some real food. The next town should be close if the Pokémon were able to bring us these things."

Whitney took the hotdog, staring at the ketchup and mustard drizzled down the middle. She was never very fond of ketchup on her hotdogs, but considering their situation, she was in no position to be picky. When it became apparent that Harley would not stop staring at her until she ate, she complied and took a single bite.

"Is it okay? If you don't like it I could try and make something else," Harley offered, to which she shook her head. To complain about the ketchup when Harley had made the effort to wake up before all of them and prepare a collective meal would've been beyond rude. From the look on his face, she could tell he really wanted it to taste good. Who was she to kid herself? It was delicious, if only because they hadn't eaten a decent meal in several days.

She nodded and smiled, settling for a thumbs-up with her free hand since her mouth was full. Harley's surprise to her wordless response might as well have been the same if she had just grown a second head right in front of him. If Whitney didn't know any better, she could've sworn Harley was practically glowing.

"Could you go check on May and Drew and see if they're awake? I bet they'll be just as hungry," he asked.

She nodded, savoring her tiny morsel for as long as she could before making her way towards the cave's entrance. Just before she was gone from his sight she turned, waiting until she got Harley's attention.

"Is…everything okay, Whitney?" the coordinator asked.

She nodded, finishing the last bites of the hotdog.

"Thank you, for everything," she said with a smile, leaving the coordinator stunned and standing silently as she entered the cave.

* * *

Whitney could hear May's and Drew's faint voices rebounding off the cavern walls as she drew closer to them, their backs turned to her when she peeked around the wall. They were sitting in silence now, so close to each other that they leaned against one another, shoulders touching. Goldenrod's once proud gym leader held her ground, waiting for the appropriate moment to fill the younger coordinators in on Harley's call to eat.

"We haven't talked in a while," Drew said, doing his best to break the veil of silence that pervaded the cavern. May merely mumbled in affirmation, staring at the wall of stone in front of her. Her legs had been brought up to her chest and her arms were wrapped tightly around them.

"Did you sleep well, at least?" he asked, hopeful, knowing it would be stupid to ask if she was okay. The brunette shook her head, the action evoking a distressed sigh from the green haired youth. "Bad dreams?" he asked. Hoenn's coordinator princess started to nod, but then changed her mind and shook her head.

"I could barely sleep. I can't help but worry about mom, dad, and my little brother. I'm scared to think about what could be happening to them and my other friends," she replied. Drew looked at her hands; one of them held a wrinkled picture of what he assumed was her family, and in the other there was what looked like half of a ribbon.

"What happened in Goldenrod probably hasn't happened in Sinnoh or Hoenn," Drew offered consolingly. He knew she had recently gone to Sinnoh to visit her friends and participate in a contest there.

"You don't know that it hasn't," she murmured back.

"You don't know that it has,"

May's head turned to meet his eyes. "How can you be so calm in all of this?"

"Someone has to be," he replied simply.

Whitney took the extended stillness to make her entrance, but stopped short when May broke the silence unexpectedly and spoke again.

"Nothing's… ever, gonna be the same again."

The gym leader nearly stumbled at the question; May's words had flown true and struck her at the core. That was the question, wasn't it? All of them had lost something dear to them. They couldn't simply move on and forget what had happened as if it wasn't important.

The reality of it was nothing new to her, but to hear the actual words still felt like a blade of ice embedding itself into her chest.

"I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm not gonna promise you that it'll ever be the same again, 'cause it probably won't. I don't make promises that I can't keep. Solidad and our Pokémon won't come back, and the nightmare we went through might get even worse…"

Drew paused, watching a new round of tears build around May's eyes, threatening to spill without a hint of ever stopping.

"… But it could get better. So if we get out of this mess, if we can't be coordinators anymore, then we'll find something else that we can do and… and I'll be with you every step of the way."

May turned to face him. Drew was met with astonished, shimmering pools of sapphire staring back at him. She watched his hand lift up, but rather than brush aside a lock of jade hair that hung over his eyes like he always did, his fingers hesitantly reached towards her face, wiping away a stray tear that had built up at the corner of her eye. May could feel the heat of his flushed face as his hand tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear, then the cool as the fingers left her skin, rapidly retreating back to his side.

Drew suddenly turned away, the stone wall in front of them becoming infinitely more fascinating. May and Whitney allowed themselves a small smile at the sight of Drew's face and ears, which now burned a vibrant red. "Harley seems pretty dependable, and we have Whitney with us. And also our Pokemon, of course," he reminded her, hoping to shift the focus off him.

May's hand landed on his, the reaction surprising her as she couldn't imagine him sitting any straighter. She managed to suppress a giggle, content with just staring at the wall with him. She felt his fingers weakly intertwine with hers until she gave him a reassuring squeeze, letting him know it was okay to hold her hand a little tighter.

They sat in silence for a long time, and some part of her believed that Drew was right. Things would get better for them.

* * *

**I don't consider myself to be great at emotional scenes, but I put a lot of myself into this chapter, and think I did a decent job with this one. I apologize for this chapter being so long, I know it can get exhausting, there was just a lot of loose ends I wanted to tie up before I ended it here.  
**

**The second part of the Johto arc will be continued in Poke Wars: The Incalescence. **

**Keep an eye out for when I bring out the Sinnoh arc, Poke Wars: The Truculence.  
**


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